on time. His intelligence, maturity, an unquestioned ability to rush the quarterback and a 4.5 second time in the 40 yard dash made Rice a sure-fire first round draft choice. Pre-Draft He attended the NFL Combine and was measured at 6'4" and weighing 259 pounds. After claiming he could run a 4.5 40-yard dash, he was timed as running it in 4.66 seconds. Professional career Arizona Cardinals In the 1996 NFL draft, Simeon Rice was selected third overall by the Arizona Cardinals. He was selected after Keyshawn Johnson and Kevin Hardy. After a contract dispute that lasted through training camp, Rice signed a 4-year, $9.5 million deal. Lining up at defensive end, Rice’s first snap as a pro resulted in a tackle for a 2-yard loss on Indianapolis Colts running back Marshall Faulk. At the end of September, Rice had 5 sacks and was named NFL defensive rookie of the month. At the end of the season, Rice had 12.5 sacks which tied a rookie record and he was voted NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press. In Rice’s second season with the Cardinals, they finished 4-12. The fans grew impatient with the team. Rice himself lost the admiration of the fans by playing semi-professional basketball for the Philadelphia Power of the USBL. He played 11 minutes a game averaging 2.5 points and was paid $400 a game. In Rice’s third season, the Cardinals made the playoffs and won their first post-season game since 1947. That season Rice had 10 sacks, 23 quarterback pressures, and 4 fumble recoveries. The following year, the team slipped to 6-10 in part because of injuries to many of their star players. Despite the team’s poor play, Rice had 16.5 sacks and was named to his first Pro-Bowl. The next season, the year 2000, Rice was due a big pay increase, but the contract negotiation kept him off the field until the second game of the regular season. Rice had 7.5 sacks and the Cardinals fell to 3-13. At the end of the season, Rice was a free agent and was anxious to go to a new team. Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Rice to a 5-year deal worth more than $30 million. He joined a defense that carried Tampa Bay to the playoffs the year before. His first season as a Buccaneer, Rice had 64 tackles and 11