CHICAGO — Simeon Rice came home, with gold in hand, Friday.
The former star at Mount Carmel, Illinois and the NFL presented a golden football to his high school alma mater.
In honor of the upcoming Super Bowl 50, the NFL and Wilson provided a golden football to every player or head coach who was on an active roster for a Super Bowl-winning team. Rice made three Pro Bowls and won Super Bowl XXXVII as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Alumni are invited to see @simeon_rice present a golden football on 1/15 at 10:25AM. #SB50 #Bucs #Wilson #WeAreMC pic.twitter.com/C4aAsWVJes
— Caravan Football (@CaravanFootball) January 13, 2016Rice presented his golden football to Mount Carmel, from where he graduated in 1992.
""I am forever grateful for what Mount Carmel taught me; how important it is to work hard and struggle for what you want. I have carried that message with me in every situation, whether it was football or film," Rice said.
Rice was a two-time All-American at Illinois before he was selected third overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 1996 NFL Draft. He played 12 years in the NFL, compiling 122 sacks.
The presentation took place on Friday in the Cacciatore Athletic Center at Mount Carmel High School.
"When I was working at a parish in LA, there was a particular student who was struggling. I called Simeon to speak to this student, to hopefully encourage this student to improve. Without hesitation Simeon picked up the phone. This is a testament to the brotherhood of Mount Carmel. A brotherhood that all of the students and alumni are part of as Men of Carmel," Mount Carmel president, Father Tony Mazurkiewicz, said.
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