Flint, Michigan born and raised, Andre Rison was a multi-sport star at Flint Northwestern High School, excelling on the gridiron, the hardwood and the track.
Rison then headed to Michigan State where he continued to excel as a Spartan in three sports at the collegiate level but made his mark in football where he set school records in career receptions and career receiving yards. As a senior, Rison was named an honorable mention All American by the Associated Press and the Sporting News.
Drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 1988 NFL Draft, he made an immediate impact, catching 52 passes for 820 yards and four touchdowns.
After a single season in Indy, he was traded to the Atlanta Falcons. With his immediate impact and outstanding play, ‘Bad Moon’ was mentioned in the same breath as the most elite receivers in the National Football League. In his five seasons with the Falcons, Rison finished near the top of nearly every single statistical receiving category.
A five-time Pro Bowler, First Team All Pro, three-time Second Team All Pro and eventual Super Bowl champion with the Green Bay Packers, Rison was one of the very best wide receivers of his generation, finishing his career with over 700 receptions, north of 10,000 yards and 84 touchdowns. Rison scored the first points of Super Bowl XXXI on a 54-yard touchdown catch from Brett Favre. He was a 2022 Pro Football Hall of Fame nominee.
Rison currently serves as a coach, motivational speaker and entrepreneur.
In November of 2021, he released a book Wide Open: The Andre Rison Story which chronicles his life story.
The book is currently being made into a movie.
We talked to the Future Hall of Famer about his interesting meeting with Franco Harris, collecting sports cars, ruthless fans and much more.
