Mother of NFL great Jerry Rice dies

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) - Eddie B. Rice, the mother of former NFL great Jerry Rice, has died. She was 77.

Rice died at a Jackson hospital on Christmas Day. The cause of death was not released.

Jerry Rice wrote about his mother's death on Twitter, saying "thank u all for the condolences on my mother. Much appreciated."

West Funeral Home in Starkville said funeral services were set for Saturday at the Pine Grove Missionary Baptist Church in the Oktoc community of Oktibbeha County.

Mrs. Rice was born in Starkville, one of 16 children. The funeral home obituary says she is survived by three daughters and six sons.

The daughters were listed as Eddie Dean Harris, Loistine Baker and Henrietta Jones, all of Starkville. The sons include the Rev. Joe Nathan Rice Jr., of Starkville; Tom Rice, of Jackson; James L. Rice, of Crawford; the Rev. Jimmy L. Rice, of Starkville; Jerry Rice, of San Francisco; and Zebedee Rice, of Starkville.