Indianapolis Colts The
Indianapolis Colts selected Rison in the first round (22nd overall) of the
1989 NFL draft. In his rookie season, he caught 52 passes for 820 yards with four touchdown receptions.
Atlanta Falcons On April 20, 1990, the
Indianapolis Colts traded Rison,
Chris Hinton, a fifth-round pick in the 1990 NFL Draft, and their first-round pick on the
1991 NFL draft to the
Atlanta Falcons for their first overall pick and their fourth-round pick in the 1990 NFL Draft. The Indianapolis Colts used the trade to move up to select
Jeff George first overall in the
1990 NFL draft. His next season marked the first of five very productive campaigns with the Falcons. During these years, Rison finished near the top of most receiving categories, and led all NFL players with 15 receiving touchdowns in 1993. Andre Rison was only the 5th Receiver in NFL history to score 60 touchdowns in his first six seasons. Rison led the NFL in most receptions in his first four and first five seasons. Rison was second in the NFL for most receptions in six seasons.
Cleveland Browns After the 1994 season, Rison signed a lucrative free agent contract with the Cleveland Browns, as operated by
Art Modell, who had to take a loan for the signing bonus for a deal was totalled five years for $17 million, which was at the time the most lucrative wide receiver deal ever signed. Rison was expected to become the featured receiving threat for the Browns, who had made the playoffs the year before. Rison, who had been named to the Pro Bowl in four of his previous six seasons, had career lows in receptions (47), yards (701), touchdowns (3), receptions per game (2.9), and yards per game (43.8). Rison also developed a feud with the Cleveland fans, who were angered over the announcement that the team would be relocating to Baltimore to go with his performance, with Rison later stating he had received death threats mailed to him. After a home loss to the Packers, Rison, who had been booed by the fans throughout the game, lashed out, stating, "We didn't make the fucking move. So, for all the booers, fuck you too. I'll be glad when we get to Baltimore, if that's the case. We don't have any home-field advantage. I've never been booed at home. Baltimore's our home. Baltimore, here we come." Rison, however, did not make the move with the team to Baltimore as he was released to make room for the new first-round picks drafted by the Ravens (
Ray Lewis and
Jonathan Ogden). He joined the
Jacksonville Jaguars in the offseason.
Jacksonville Jaguars In 1996, Rison spent the first ten games with the
Jacksonville Jaguars, catching 34 passes for 458 yards and two touchdowns. Rison had a miscommunication with quarterback Mark Brunell in week 12 that resulted in an interception in a 28–3 loss to the
Pittsburgh Steelers. This mistake caused tempers to flare between the two, and Rison was subsequently released.
Green Bay Packers The
Green Bay Packers claimed Rison off of waivers on November 20, 1996. He played in five of the remaining games, catching 13 passes for 135 yards and one touchdown. In three playoff games, culminating in a Super Bowl appearance, he caught seven passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns, with Rison catching the opening touchdown in
Super Bowl XXXI, a 35–21 victory.
Kansas City Chiefs He signed with the
Kansas City Chiefs prior to the 1997 season. For the second time in his career (1993 being the only other time), Rison started in all 16 games of the season. He caught 72 passes for 1,092 yards and seven touchdowns as the Chiefs went on to become the #1 seed that year. In the Divisional round playoff game, Rison caught eight passes for 110 yards, but the Chiefs lost 14–10 to division rival and eventual
Super Bowl champion
Denver Broncos. The following year, he caught 40 passes in 14 total games for 542 yards and five touchdowns. For 1999, he played 15 games and regressed further, catching 21 passes for 218 yards with no touchdowns.
Oakland Raiders With the
Oakland Raiders in 2000, he played in all 16 games without starting, catching 41 passes for 606 yards and six touchdowns. The Raiders made a run in the playoffs, and Rison made small contribution, catching three combined passes for 44 yards. Rison finished his NFL career with 743 receptions for 10,205 yards and 84 touchdowns, along with eight kickoff returns for 150 yards and nine carries for 23 yards.
Toronto Argonauts He signed with the
Toronto Argonauts of the
Canadian Football League in August 2004, who went on to win the
92nd Grey Cup championship that year. He was released by the team in August 2005. ==Nicknames==