Why Jerry Rice compares 49ers rookie Deebo Samuel to George Kittle

San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel finished his rookie season with 57 catches for 802 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He also has 14 carries for 159 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.

I'll do the math for you. That's 961 all-purpose yards. Those are some impressive numbers for the first-year wideout.

Samuel's 57 receptions are the second-most by a rookie in franchise history. Only Earl Cooper had more with 83 in 1980. Samuel's 802 receiving yards also ranks as the second-most by a rookie in team history, behind only Jerry Rice, who had 927 in 1985.

So what does Rice, the greatest receiver to ever play the game, think about Samuel and what he has accomplished in his first NFL season? Needless to say, the Hall of Famer has been impressed.

Rice joined 95.7 The Game for his weekly interview and compared Samuel to the player many consider to be the best on the roster.

"I compare him to being like George Kittle," Rice said on the "Joe, Lo and Dibs" show. "He catches the ball, and he's not looking to go down. He's looking for contact. On that reverse play where he was able to put his foot in the ground like that, and spin, it just shows that any time he touches the football, he's thinking about scoring."

Here is that play Rice is referring to, in case you want to see it again.

Samuel had five catches for 102 receiving yards against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night. It was his third game this season with 100-or-more receiving yards, which is the most in a single season in franchise history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

"I like his competitive nature," Rice continued. "I think in that ballgame, he had about 102 yards, and then he had that one touchdown on that reverse play. But even on that quick slant, when Jimmy G got him the ball early, he's a very physical receiver, he's got good hands, and I love the run after the catch."

You can listen to the entire interview with Rice below.