These lessons in leadership and team dynamics are an important part of what Rivers will take with him when he graduates in December and looks toward a professional football career. With a strong academic commitment and personal drive, Rivers has steered a straight course toward graduating on time. He knows that his business studies and marketing focus will be useful in the future, no matter where life takes him. Rivers says that down the road, regardless of whether he’s successful in professional football, his business and accounting classes will make him a knowledgeable player or businessman.

Rivers will complete many of his marketing classes this fall, but says his initial introduction to the field has already affected his view of the sports world, product marketing and brand awareness. “You realize, even pulling into Wendy’s or something, that you can see their strategy right away.”

Faculty and advisors describe Rivers as a dedicated student athlete with a good sense of direction and purpose. The bottom line, Rivers said, is that students can’t participate in athletics if they’re not willing to put their education first. “You can do school without the football,” he acknowledged. “But you can’t do football without the school.”

The 21-year-old says that he’s able to balance all of his activities precisely because he has so much to do including football practice and games, a full courseload and a family at home: wife Tiffany (his high school sweetheart) and their daughter, one-year-old Halle.

“It sounds weird, but it’s been easy, really, balancing all of it. I guess because I didn’t have another choice. It was all right there,” he explains. Rivers said his college and family experience made him grow up quickly, and learn the finer points of time management. As he prepares for a career as a professional athlete, those lessons from life, school and the football field at NC State should serve him well.