Jerry Rice’s peers aren’t too thrilled about the Hall of Famer’s Stickum confession.
Rice recently admitted he used Stickum — a tacky substance banned by the NFL — during his illustrious career. But while Rice played the “everyone did it” card in his revelation, other former NFL wide receivers, including Michael Irvin, aren’t playing along.
“I love Jerry Rice, but that’s what everybody says. ‘Oh, everybody did it.’ That’s the oldest defense in the world,” Irvin told WFAN during a radio interview Thursday. “I didn’t use Stickum. I never used Stickum, didn’t need Stickum, didn’t believe in Stickum. I wouldn’t do it.
“(Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback/teammate) Troy (Aikman) would go off on me if I put Stickum on his footballs. You see what I’m saying? Stop asking me this junk. I didn’t feel like I should answer it (on Twitter). I have not answered one (tweet) on it.”
Irvin is the second Hall of Fame receiver to defend himself against Rice’s notion that “everyone did it.” Cris Carter, who, like Irvin, remains prominent in the media, tweeted last week that he never used Stickum during his 16-year career.
Irvin was rather fired up about the topic, though. He even referenced former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez amid his defense. Hernandez, of course, currently is on trial for the murder of Odin Lloyd.
“It’s almost like — and I hate to get this harsh — if Aaron Hernandez starts saying, ‘Well, Michael murdered some people.’ Don’t start asking me did I murder somebody,” Irvin said. “You know darn well I didn’t murder anybody. Just because somebody threw it out there — leave me alone with that mess. Get off my Twitter with that.”
Well, that’s one way to hammer home your point. Rice sure is looking like the outsider in “StickumGate.”
Thumbnail photo via Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports Images
