Jared Rice was recruited to Fresno State as a tight end, and he was a perfect fit in the offensive system the Bulldogs were running at that time.
But the job description changed completely when coach Jeff Tedford was hired to revive a backsliding Bulldogs program, and Rice readily admits that it took more than a minute to wrap his head around that, and that he was not exactly enamored with the idea of playing with a hand down at the point of attack, run-blocking and seeing the occasional pass every now and then.
Fresno State tight end Jared Rice (16) pulls in a pass while defended by Boise State safety Kekoa Nawahine (10) in the Bulldogs’ 17-14 loss to the Broncos in the Mountain West Conference Championship Saturday, Dec.