Professional career Isaac Bruce

1 professional career

1.1 st. louis rams
1.2 san francisco 49ers
1.3 awards , achievements
1.4 nfl statistics

professional career
st. louis rams

bruce drafted in 2nd round (33rd overall) los angeles rams. signed 3-year, $1.75 million contract rams on july 14, 1994. earned 1994 carroll rosenbloom award, given team rookie of year. voted rams rookie of year orange county sports association , southern california sports broadcasters association. first nfl reception 34-yard touchdown throw chris miller @ atlanta on september 11, 1994. after touchdown, when bruce made catch, rams fans yelled bruuuuuuce .

he moved team st. louis in 1995. in 1995, bruce named nfc s week 1 special teams player of week after blocking punt contributed rams win. nfc offensive player of week week 6 following 10-catch, 191 yard, 2 td performance. total receiving yards 1995 (119 catches 1,781 yards) second jerry rice s record of 1,848 yards 1 season, , third overall after rice s 1995 season , current record-holder calvin johnson s 2012 season. in accomplishing feat isaac bruce surpassed former houston oilers wr charley hennigan s 34-year-old record of 1,746 set in 1961. bruce s 119 catches ranks ninth on nfl s all-time single-season reception list. bruce further broke 4 rams’ records, including receiving yards, receptions, consecutive 100-yard receiving games (6) , 100-yard games (9). bruce made usa today s all-joe team, all-madden, , all-pro sports illustrated , voted first alternate pro bowl. awarded rams mvp.

in 1996, bruce led team 84 receptions , led nfl 1,338 yards. became first rams receiver since henry ellard in 1990 , 1991 post back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. against baltimore ravens on october 27, 1996, caught 11 passes 229 yards , touchdown. on november 30, 1996, bruce re-signed rams 4-year $12.1 million contract extension. in 1996 bruce voted first pro bowl, after having been alternate season before.

in following seasons, bruce hampered hamstring injuries. in 1997, missed first 6 games due injury , in 1998 missed final 9 games (he missed 2 other games earlier in season). in atlanta on november 2, 1997, bruce had 200-yard game, totaling 10 catches, 233 yards , recording 2 touchdowns. prior injury in 1998 in home game against minnesota vikings, bruce had 11 catches 192 yards , 80-yard touchdown.

in 1999, bruce first-team all-pro , voted second pro bowl. caught 77 passes 1,165 yards , 12 touchdowns rams had 13-3 record , advanced super bowl. led rams in receiving yards in playoffs, 317 yards on 13 catches team-high 2 touchdowns. bruce caught kurt warner s 73-yard touchdown pass late in fourth quarter of super bowl xxxiv give rams 23-16 lead, turned out game winner.

bruce rams in 2007.

prior 2000 season, bruce re-signed rams 7-year, $42 million contract extension. in 2000 bruce again pro bowler , caught 87 passes 1,471 yards , 9 touchdowns. became first rams receiver earn back-to-back pro bowl invitations since henry ellard accomplished feat 1988–1989 seasons. bruce either led or tied receptions 6 times in 2000, led team in receiving yards 6 times, , posted 4 100-yard receiving games. same year, bruce , teammate torry holt became second wr duo same team each gain on 1400 yards in same season (see herman moore , brett perriman).

in 2001, rams returned super bowl, losing new england patriots, , bruce made pro bowl fourth time, becoming third receiver in team history earn 3 consecutive pro bowl invitations (elroy hirsch 1951–53, jim phillips 1960–62). bruce voted offensive captain , became franchise career leader in 100-yard receiving games (29), 1,000-yard seasons (5), , receiving touchdowns (56). became second player in team history post 500 career receptions vs. new york giants on october 14, 2001. caught 5 passes 56 yards against new england in super bowl xxxvi.

bruce became rams’ all-time leader in receptions in 2002 while posting fourth consecutive 1,000-yard receiving season. year, led team 7 touchdown receptions, , ended season 79 receptions 1,075 yards. on 30th birthday, bruce had 3 fumbles in game. luckily bruce, scored game-winning touchdown , game forgotten because of 34-34 tie between falcons , steelers same day.

in 2003, bruce missed 1,000 mark first time since 1998, finishing 69 catches 981 yards , 5 touchdowns, however, became rams’ all-time leader in receiving yards (10,461), passing position coach henry ellard (9,761). year bruce made 7 receptions 116 yards in nfc divisional playoff game vs. carolina on january 10, 2004, making him rams player have 4 career 100-yard postseason performances, breaking tie tom fears.

in 2004, bruce caught 89 passes (fifth in nfc, eighth in nfl) 1,292 yards (fifth in nfl). started season 4 consecutive 100-yard receiving performances, first player accomplish feat since houston s charley hennigan in 1963. bruce nabbed team-high 9 catches 170 yards , 1 touchdown @ green bay on november 29, 2004.

with retirement of jerry rice, bruce entered 2005 nfl s active leader in career receiving yards; foot injury caused him miss 5 games, , passed marvin harrison end of season. still, became 14th player in nfl history 800 career receptions on december 11 @ minnesota.

on march 7, 2006, rams released bruce rather pay him $1.5 million bonus; however, 5 days after releasing him, rams agreed three-year, $15 million deal bruce. re-signing freed reported $7.5 million in cap money rams. season bruce started 15 of 16 games , notched eighth career 1,000-yard receiving season 1,098 yards on 74 catches 3 touchdowns.

in 2007, bruce caught 55 passes 733 yards , 4 touchdowns, second on team torry holt in 3 categories. in week 15, retook lead in career receiving yards among active players marvin harrison, , in same game passed james lofton become third on all-time list.

on february 28, 2008, bruce released rams after refusing take pay cut, rams promised not in previous contract renegotiation.

san francisco 49ers

bruce 49ers in october 2008.

on february 29, 2008, bruce signed two-year, $6 million contract san francisco 49ers, reunite former offensive coordinator mike martz. jerry rice gave bruce permission wear number 80 although team had retired it, bruce decided against , instead wore 88.

on december 21, 2008, in game @ st. louis against former team, rams, bruce caught 1,000th career reception – 3-yard touchdown catch, st. louis fans cheered on former wide receiver, yelling bruuuuuuuuce whenever caught pass, , cheered when caught 1,000th pass.

after contemplating retirement in offseason, elected return 49ers in 2009 sixteenth season, reasoning there in playoffs again , win super bowl .

on june 7, 2010, bruce traded 49ers rams able retire ram. bruce last member of former first-tenure los angeles rams retire.

awards , achievements

2009 – second wide receiver in nfl history achieve more 15,000 receiving yards.
2008 – reaches 1,000 receptions touchdown against former team st. louis rams. surpassed tim brown become 2nd time in receiving yards 14,944 receiving yards.
2007 – achieved 14,109 receiving yards , 942 receptions, putting him @ 6th place all-time receptions , 3rd total yardage. 13th time in receiving touchdowns 84. prolific receiver in rams history in every category.
2006 – national sportsmanship award
2003 – sports personality of year award missouri athletic club @ annual jack buck sports award banquet
2001 – named play in pro bowl (did not play – injured)
2000 – named play in pro bowl (did not play – injured)
1999 – super bowl xxxiv
1999 – named play in pro bowl
1998 – rams sprint sport/man of year
1997 – rams true value man of year
1996 – named play in pro bowl
1995 – recorded 119 reception (most in nfl history player 25 , under, voted pro bowl alternate)
1994 – rams consensus rookie of year

nfl statistics

receiving statistics