Former Mississippi State wide receiver Brenen Thompson has received a gift that left him speechless.
The speedy Los Angeles Chargers rookie was featured in a promotional video by athletic apparel company Fanatics, where he opened a gift box that revealed a signed jersey from none other than Jerry Rice, arguably the best wide receiver in football history.
“Don’t make me cry. Don’t put nothing in here that’s going to make me tear up,” Thompson said as he opened the box.
Thompson’s wish not to cry did not come true, though, as he quickly let out a laugh and began to get teary-eyed when he saw Rice’s jersey.
“I mean, what a moment. What a legendary … I mean, this is just … I have no words,” a speechless Thompson said as he wiped a tear. “I’m literally holding … I don’t know, man. This is wild.”
They put in the work to get here. So we called a few @NFL legends together to help welcome this year’s rookies to the league. pic.twitter.com/Gi2x6j8O39
— Fanatics (@Fanatics) August 13, 2026
Rice was born in Starkville and grew up in nearby Crawford. He spent his collegiate playing days at Mississippi Valley State from 1981-84, where he set multiple NCAA and team records.
He went on to be selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft, beginning a storied career that featured three Super Bowl wins, a Super Bowl MVP honor, two NFL Offensive Player of the Year awards, and 10 First Team All-Pro distinctions, among other accolades.
Thompson was a collegiate journeyman who began his playing days at Texas before transferring to Oklahoma and spending his last season at Mississippi State. The lightning-fast wideout was an instant success in Jeff Lebby’s offense, tallying a team-best-best 1,054 yards and six touchdowns on 57 receptions, averaging a whopping 18.5 yards per catch last year.
In April, Thompson became the first Bulldog wide receiver selected in the NFL Draft since 1996 when the Chargers picked him up in the fourth round. Before that, he impressed in the NFL Draft combine, clocking an official time of 4.26 in the 40-yard dash. His impressive time was the fastest in this year’s combine.
Thompson is already making his mark with Los Angeles. The wide receiver caught two passes for 30 yards and returned a punt for 12 yards in the Chargers’ preseason opener on Thursday night. Los Angeles defeated the Houston Texans 27-7 in the matchup.
