Age: 24 (Nov.
10)
3rd
season in pro football & with Rams
College: Memphis
Height: 6’0” Weight: 178
Prelude:
In two
seasons at Memphis after transferring from Santa Monica College, Bruce caught
113 passes for 1586 yards (14.0 avg.) and 15 touchdowns, including 74 for 1054
yards and 10 TDs in 1993. He was chosen by the Rams in the second round of the
’94 NFL draft and had a quiet rookie season, with 21 catches for 272 yards and
three touchdowns, before missing the last four games with a knee injury. Bruce
broke out in 1995 by catching 119 passes for 1781 yards and 13 TDs, showing off
his deceptive speed.
1996 Season Summary
Appeared in all
16 games
[Bracketed
numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]
Pass Receiving
Receptions – 84
[12, tied with Wayne Chrebet]
Most
receptions, game – 11 (for 136 yds.) vs. Washington 9/22, (for 229 yds.) at
Baltimore 10/27
Yards – 1338
[1]
Most yards,
game – 229 (on 11 catches) at Baltimore 10/27
Average gain
– 15.9 [13]
TDs – 7 [19,
tied with seven others]
200-yard
receiving games – 1
100-yard
receiving games – 5
Rushing
Attempts – 1
Yards – 4
TDs – 0
Passing
Attempts – 2
Completions –
1
Yards – 15
TD passes – 0
Interceptions
– 1
Scoring
TDs – 7
Points – 42
Awards & Honors:
2nd
team All-NFC: UPI
Pro Bowl
Rams went 6-10
to finish third in the NFC West.
Aftermath:
Bruce was
slowed by injuries in 1997 and ’98, appearing in a combined 17 games with
diminished production. Healthy again in 1999, and with an improved supporting
cast that included QB Kurt Warner and WR Torry Holt, he had the first of three
straight Pro Bowl seasons, scoring 12 touchdowns among his 77 receptions for
1165 yards in ’99, pulling in 87 passes for 1471 yards and 9 TDs in 2000, and
averaging a career-high 17.3 yards on 64 catches for 1106 yards in 2001. Bruce
stayed with the Rams until 2007, compiling a total of eight thousand-yard
seasons and leaving the club as the career leader in pass receptions (942),
receiving yards (14,109), and TD receptions (84). He finished up with San
Francisco in 2008 and ’09, giving him overall totals of 1024 catches for 15,208
yards, which ranked second all-time in NFL history, as well as 91 TDs. Bruce
added another 44 receptions for 759 yards and four touchdowns in the
postseason, all with the Rams. He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and the
Rams retired his #80.
--
Highlighted Years features players who were consensus
first-team All-League* selections or league* or conference** leaders in the
following statistical categories:
Rushing:
Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Passing:
Yards, Completion Pct., Yards per Attempt, TDs, Rating
Receiving:
Catches, Yards, TDs (min. 10)
Scoring: TDs,
Points, Field Goals (min. 5)
All-Purpose:
Total Yards
Defense:
Interceptions, Sacks
Kickoff
Returns: Average
Punt Returns:
Average
Punting:
Average
*Leagues
include NFL (1920 to date), AFL (1926), AFL (1936-37), AAFC (1946-49), AFL
(1960-69), WFL (1974-75), USFL (1983-85)
**NFC/AFC
since 1970
