Rams retire WR Bruce's No. 80, honor 'Greatest Show on Turf'

Isaac Bruce became the second member of the "Greatest Show on Turf"-era Rams to have his number retired.

The Rams honored the 37-year-old wide receiver before Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers, the crowd greeting him with chants of "Bruce," just as they did in his prime.

Dick Vermeil, the coach who led the Rams to the 2000 Super Bowl championship, was in attendance. So was Mike Martz, the offensive coordinator for that team and the coach when the Rams lost the 2002 Super Bowl to the New England Patriots. Martz is now the offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears, who had a bye week.

"He took a level of excellence and a standard he set for himself throughout his career and worked toward that, a standard higher than anybody else's," Martz said during the ceremony. "He is the standard of how that position is supposed to be played."

About two dozen former teammates were on hand, too.

"If anybody should have their jersey retired where no one else can wear it again, it should be No. 80 Isaac Bruce," former tight end Ernie Conwell said.

Bruce joined former teammate Marshall Faulk as the only member of the "Greatest Show on Turf" to have their numbers retired to date.

Bruce thanked his coaches and teammates, and he said the greatest moment of his career wasn't one of his catches but a teammate's -- Ricky Proehl's against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win the NFC championship and put the Rams in the Super Bowl.

Bruce was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round (33rd overall) in 1994 and spent 14 seasons with the team. He holds every major receiving record in Rams history, including most career receptions (942), career receiving yards (14,109) and touchdown catches (84).

Bruce was a four-time Pro Bowl selection with the Rams before ending his career with two seasons as a San Francisco 49er. Bruce was traded back to St. Louis in July to retire as a Ram.

The Rams also honored Bruce on Sunday by wearing throwback uniforms from that Super Bowl-winning season. It was Bruce in that uniform who provided perhaps the best moment in Rams history -- his game-winning 73-yard touchdown catch from Kurt Warner in the waning moments of the Super Bowl to give St. Louis a 23-16 victory over the Tennessee Titans.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.