Last year, FABTECH brought you Hall of Fame running Back Emmitt Smith to deliver an inspirational talk that had deep relevance to our industry. He laid out how his key life lessons, which resonated with anyone in forming, fabrication, finishing, welding, and manufacturing.
Could we top it in 2026? We will leave you to decide. But we are honored to bring you NFL legend Jerry Rice, widely considered the greatest receiver in history. Through a 20-season career, he was part of three Super Bowl winning teams. He set 36 NFL records including an incredible 1,549 receptions , almost 23,000 receiving yards, and more than 200 touchdowns.
During FABTECH 2026, this Pro Football Hall of Famer will deliver a keynote entitled, “Championship Culture in Manufacturing: Discipline, Teamwork, and Excellent with Jerry Rice.” Jerry will translate his on-field heroics into the field of manufacturing and fabrication. You will be surprised and delighted by the many parallels he draws.
During this dynamic moderated session, he will continually reference the principles that shaped his championship career. Discipline, teamwork, and a relentless drive for excellence that only apply to sport. They translate directly into today’s manufacturing environment. This has everything to do with how leaders and teams can build a high-performance culture that wins together.
These practical insights will be delivered in tandem with inspiring stories from Jerry’s career. This led him to launch G.O.A.T. Fuel, a lifestyle brand that empowers individual and collective greatness. Many consider Rice to be the “Greatest of All Time”. He now brings his GOAT experience and passion to speaking engagements around the world.
Here are few nuggets that infused his legendary career.
“I think my secret is that there are no shortcuts for hard work, determination, and having that ‘don’t give up’ attitude.” This one very much applies to anyone deciding to open their own job shop or transform their company into one that can expand nationally or globally.
“The Enemy of the best is the good. If you’re always settling with what’s good, you’ll never be the best.” There are many good welders, formers, fabricators, finishers, and manufacturers out there. FABTECH 2026 is where you learn how you can transition from good to great.