Undercover Lyft Driver: Jerry Rice NFL’s Famous 49er
Famous football player Jerry Rice spent some time recently in a new job: as an undercover Lyft driver in the San Francisco Bay area.
According to Geekwire, the 53-year-old National Football League Hall of Fame wide receiver was unrecognizable to the unsuspecting Lyft riders.
Rice told NBC Bay Area on Wednesday that he wondered whether 49er fans would recognize him if he was undercover, wearing a hat and sunglasses, KSBW reported.
A hidden camera in the Lyft car recorded the rider reactions to the undercover driver. See the video below.
After taking off his giant Superbowl ring and wearing nondescript clothing, including a hat and sunglasses, Jerry was unrecognizable. He was so nondescript that none of his passengers noticed who he was, although he chatted them up, talking about music, the weather, and sports.
“I played a little football in high school. And I loved it, man, but I was not able to take it to the next level,” said Rice to one of the riders.
“My dream is to be an actor,” Rice said to someone else.
One Lyft ride claimed to be a “big Niner guy,” born and raised in San Jose. He sat in the front seat, looked directly at Rice, and asked him who he rooted for.
“Ya know, I’m not really into sports, man,” Rice said with a straight face.
Rice really got into his role as talkative Lyft driver, going as far as stopping the car and inviting at least one of his riders for a little dance party on the side of the road before revealing his identity.
Lots of laughter and hugs ensued after Jerry told the riders who he was.
Jerry Rice played 20 seasons in the National Football League. He is considered to be one of the greatest wide receivers in NFL history and among the best players overall, reports Wikipedia.
He won an AFC Championship with the Oakland Raiders and three Super Bowl rings while playing for the San Francisco 49ers. Rice held over 100 NFL records as of 2014, by far the most records held by any player.
Rice is the unofficial famous host of the Super Bowl, coming up this weekend, reportes the San Francisco Chronicle.
“I am pumped up… this is our city, and we want to show all the fans what the Bay Area is all about. They can jump over to Wine Country. This is a great chance to showcase our city and our hospitality.”
He talked about his experience as the Lyft undercover driver.
“They, for some reason, didn’t recognize me,” Rice said. “Some started to, but I played it off…. That was fun, and gave me a chance to be me.”
Lyft was launched in the summer of 2012 as an on-demand ridesharing network for rides with city limits. The Lyft app connects passengers that need rides to local drivers, reports Wikipedia.
Because safety is of high importance, all Lyft drivers must go through a screening process, including the Department of Motor Vehicles, criminal background checks, and a national sex offender registry check. They must also interview in person with other Lyft drivers, be at least 21-years-old, and not use drugs or alcohol on the job.
Each driver is an independent contractor, but Lyft insures each one with a $1 million commercial liability policy.
The drivers and passengers rate each other on a five-star system. Drivers who consistently earn low stars eventually get dropped by the Lyft service.
Read More About Lyft and Uber Services:
- Uber Rate Cuts Leave Many Drivers Making Less Than Minimum Wage, Some Switching To Lyft
- GM ‘Picks Up’ Lyft By Giving $500 Million
- Uber Rival Lyft Gets Lift After GM Invests $500 Million, Plans System Of Self-Driving Cars
- Andre 3000 Invites Uber Passenger To Kanye’s ‘Waves’ Studio Session
- Uber Is Now The Most Popular Choice For Corporate Travellers, As Company Announces Expansion Of UberRush Courier Services
Do you think you would have recognized Lyft’s undercover driver, Jerry Rice?
[Photo by Ezra Shaw/GettyImages]
