Isaac Bruce came to the University of Memphis football team as a wide receiver in 1992 after two stellar seasons in junior college. At Memphis he made an immediate impact on the Tiger football squad. He finished his senior season with a school-record 74 catches for 1,054 yards and 10 touchdowns. His 74 catches and 1,054 yards remain Memphis football records and his 10 touchdown receptions ranks fourth all-time. The University of Memphis officially retired Bruce’s jersey and he was inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame.
Bruce was drafted in the second round by the St. Louis Rams where he played 14 seasons before signing with the San Francisco 49ers to play two final seasons. During his 16 NFL seasons, Isaac was considered one of the best receivers in the National Football League. He was a world-class route-runner, very elusive and highly intelligent with great hands and a tremendous overall threat. When he retired, he was No. 2 on the NFL’s all-time receiving yards list and No. 5 on the NFL’s all-time receptions list. He had more than 1,000 career receptions and more than 15,000 career receiving yards. His #80 jersey was retired by the Rams in 2010. He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection and a two time recipient of the Daniel F. Reeves Memorial Award. Bruce also holds three Rams’ single-season records, most receiving yards, most receptions and most consecutive 100-yard receiving games, and the only player in team history with four 100-yard receiving games in the postseason.
Off the field, Isaac is one of the most giving athletes in the NFL. Isaac launched the Isaac Bruce Foundation in 2006 which focuses on health, wellness, nutrition, fitness and education. Through the Foundation, Isaac reaches out to youth and teaches them at an early age the importance of a healthy lifestyle with a focus on education. To date, the Isaac Bruce Foundation has donated more than a quarter of a million dollars in grants and scholarships. The Foundation hosts free football clinics, donates autographed items to other charities, feeds families in partnership with hunger relief organizations, donates books to charities and rewards student athletes with tickets to a NFL game for their work in the community and the classroom.