... coronation of several bits of San Francisco 49er (and NFL) lore that have been foregone conclusions for essentially the last 20 years.

In August, Jerry Rice will be enshrined in Canton, Ohio, joining his fellow immortals cast in bronze for perpetuity in the hallowed corridors of the illustrious Pro Football Hall of Fame. Then, during a ceremony at halftime of the Week Two Monday Night contest against the defending Super Bowl Champion Saints, the 49ers will convey additional honors on Jerry, as they enshrine him into their own Edward J. DeBartolo Sr. Hall of Fame and formally retire his number 80.

These official commendations will serve as merely the last formal validation of a career that...

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