NATCHEZ — Former Super Bowl champion and Natchez native Floyd Rice died Tuesday after a long battle with lung cancer. He was 62.

Rice, who played linebacker in the NFL for eight seasons, was drafted in the ninth round of the 1971 NFL Draft out of Alcorn State University. He was a member of the 1976 Super Bowl champion Oakland Raiders.

Rice’s niece, Taaka Bailey, said the loss is rough for her family, but the impact he had on the family was priceless.

“To me, my earliest memories were that he was Superman,” Bailey said. “He was a strong, extremely positive person. He made you believe you could do anything.

“He was always there for his nieces and nephews, even for something as simple as an honor roll (celebration). He actually helped send his three youngest siblings to college.”

Floyd’s impact on his family included a strong commitment to education, Bailey said.

“He was extremely adamant about a good education,” she said. “He was really big about family. We all the way up to his great nieces and nephews, and he has two daughters he’s leaving behind.”

Although Bailey said she doesn’t remember too much about his playing days, she said she’s seen highlights of his time in the NFL.

“He was a player that was extremely memorable,” Bailey said. “He took great pride in his position, and he was a star linebacker for the teams he played for. He was a force to be reckoned with, for lack of better words.”

Rice was diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, and had recently celebrated six months of survival in July.

“It’s a difficult loss, even though it was something we had come to terms with,” Bailey said.

“But, we know we have to live on. His sufferings have ended, and at this point, we just have to do what we can to honor his memory.”

Rice graduated from North Natchez High School. He was a spokesperson for Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Bailey said.