George Rice (American football)
George Gaylen Rice (June 20, 1944 – December 26, 2010) was an American football defensive tackle who played in the American Football League for the Houston Oilers from 1966 to 1969.
Born in Liberty, Missouri, Rice grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and attended Istrouma High School, where he excelled in football and other sports. He played college football at LSU from 1962 to 1965, earning All-American honors in 1965 and first-team All-SEC in 1964 and 1965. He also played in the Hula Bowl in 1966.
In 1966 Rice was drafted by both leagues: by the Chicago Bears in the NFL draft (first round, 12th overall) and by the Oilers in the AFL draft (third round, 21st overall). He chose to sign with the Oilers on January 2, 1966.
With Houston, Rice appeared in five games in 1966 (one start). In 1967 he started 13 of 14 games and had 6.5 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries; he started in the AFL Championship Game, which Houston lost to Oakland. In 1968 he started all 11 games and had 2.5 sacks and 1 fumble recovery. His knee required surgery in 1969, and his final AFL season was 1969. He finished his Oilers career with 10 sacks and 3 fumble recoveries.
After playing, Rice coached at Memorial Hall School in Houston from 1971 to 1974. He then served as an assistant defensive line coach for the Oilers from 1975 to 1976. Rice died December 26, 2010, in Sealy, Texas.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 16:58 (CET).