David Rice, Commissioner
David Rice has served as Founder and
Commissioner of the Southern States Football League
since 2000. His background as a player, coach, athletic
administrator and commissioner extends on the national
as well as local level for integrity and success. Under
his guidance, the league established early as the
quality minor league in the Nation. The SSFL is a member
of the American Football Association with a membership
of over 700 teams nationwide.
Rice’s honors
include:
- American Football Association Hall of Fame
- Minor League Football News Southern Regions
Commissioner of the Year for 2005
- Football Executive of the Year 2004 by the
American Football Association.
Rice, a 1998
Inductee of the All-American College Football Foundation
Hall of Fame and the recipient of the General Robert R.
Neyland Award for his lifetime contributions to college
football, was a multi sport college athlete and scholar
and is a member of Who's Who In American Colleges and
Universities. In 2005 Rice was honored by the All
American College Football Foundation as the Nations top
Football League Commissioner.
Upon college graduation, Rice signed as
a free agent with the N.Y. Titans of the American
Football League and played in 3 professional football
leagues over a 10 year span .
His coaching experience includes Head
Football Coach, Greenwich H.S., Greenwich Connecticut,
Columbia University, Head Coach Western Connecticut
State University and Head Coach at Fordham University in
New York.
Upon retiring from coaching, Rice became
the Director of Athletics at Fordham University where he
established himself as the youngest AD in Division I in
the nation. In that capacity he served on the Advisory
Board for Giants Stadium, a Director of the NIT
(National Invitation Tournament), President of the
Metropolitan Athletic Directors Association, Co-Founder
of the MAAC (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference), and
member of the Madison Square Garden Holiday Festival
Committee.
At Fordham, Rice received the coveted
Jack Coffey Award as Coach of the Year and was the
Metropolitan Football League Coach of the Year. Rice
served briefly as the Director of Athletics at Florida
International University setting the groundwork for the
universities entrance into Division I of the NCAA.
A resident of Marco Island, Florida
since 1987, Rice is active in the community and served
as Director of the Naples/Marco Sports Festival, Naples
Community Hospital Foundation Committee member,
President of the Chamber of Commerce, President of the
Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club member, National Businessman
of the Year of the Republican Party, founder of the
National Sports Achievement Awards and Chairman of the
Coalition of Community Organizations.
His civic involvement has been
recognized by his peers being named Volunteer of the
Year, YMCA Community Leader Award, Citizens Bank
Community Leadership Award, Rotary Club Citizen of the
Year and 2002 Republican Party National Leadership
Award. He has served as President of the Kiwanis Club,
President of the Marco Island Area Chamber of Commerce,
and as Chairman of the United Way Campaign.
A popular Master of Ceremonies at events
and banquets, Dave has also served as a TV and radio
color commentator and presently is one of four Football
forecasters of NFL games for the local newspaper.
Rice is married to Jeanne Taylor, former
Assistant Athletic Director in charge of women’s sports
at the University of Mississippi. |
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