Santa Clara, Calif. ? Jerry Rice spent some of his favorite days on the green practice fields next to the railroad tracks that run behind the San Francisco 49ers’ training complex.

That’s where Rice honed his game over countless hours as he became the NFL’s most prolific receiver – and that’s why he felt those fields were an appropriate place to say his latest goodbye to the sport he revolutionized.

Rice signed a one-day contract to retire with the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday, officially ending the receiver’s matchless career back where it began.

Rice, who scored more touchdowns than anyone in league history, shed no tears during a short signing ceremony on the fields at the training complex opened in 1988 by the 49ers, his team for the first 16 of his 20 seasons.

The receiver wore his ring from the 49ers’ 1989 Super Bowl championship team on a chain around his neck as he hugged his wife, Jackie, and shook hands with San Francisco owner John York.

“I would like to put the uniform on and run on that football field, but I think it’s time to move on,” Rice said, gesturing toward the fields where the current 49ers were practicing. “I feel welcome here. I feel like this is my home, and this is something I’ll never forget.”

Rice, who will turn 44 in October, hasn’t played since parting ways with the Broncos before last season, holding his first retirement news conference last September in Denver. He spent three seasons in Oakland after leaving the 49ers, then played a final year with the Seattle Seahawks.

“He played with a burning passion that the NFL had never seen before,” York said. “It’s great to see him back with the 49ers.”

Rice became a vagabond in his final years, still searching for another chance to prove he hadn’t lost a step in his 40s. But San Francisco fans still remember Rice in his incredible prime, when he made most of his 197 touchdown receptions while playing for several powerhouse teams and three Super Bowl winners.

“This is where I got my start,” Rice said. “This is where my legacy is at. This is where my heart got started, and this is where I’m going to end it.”