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YSU star Rivers chosen in third round by Patriots

Derek Rivers had an NFL future when he left Youngstown State.

Eighty-three picks into the NFL draft, the former Penguins defensive end began his professional career with a third-round selection.

He was the first pick of the defending Super Bowl Champions New England Patriots, a selection read by former Patriots All-Pro lineman Andre Tippett.

Rivers, the 22nd pick in school history, is the first YSU player to be drafted since Harry Deligianis was selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 1998.

“I was shaking. It was an overwhelming feeling,” Rivers said of the draft call to the Boston Herald. “It was awesome, a blessing.”

Rivers is the second-highest draft pick in school history behind the legendary Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski who was picked 37th in 1973. Rivers was three spots ahead of Pete Lanzi who was picked 86th by the New York Giants in 1948.

Patriots coach Bill Belichick said Rivers’ skillset will translate to the NFL.

“Well, I mean again, you can see him do that in the Senior Bowl,” Belichick said in news conference. “I mean he’s been in a good program. Coach (Bo) Pelini has been an NFL coach, been a Division I head coach. They were in a championship game there at Youngstown. He does a great job. Visiting with Derek last week, or two weeks ago — whenever it was when he was in here — he’s obviously been in a good program. He’s been well-coaches, and sure, it’s a big adjustment for him or anybody moving to the National Football League.

“I think he’s been in a solid program. We’ll see how it goes.”

Rivers, a Kinston, N.C. native, had 13 tackles and three sacks in 10 games as a reserve his freshman season for 2013.

He earned first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors his sophomore year with 14 sacks and 13 tackles — averaging 1.08 sacks per game.

Rivers, a third-team, All-American and first-team, All-MVFC selection as a junior, had nine sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss — setting the YSU career sack record in 2015.

Leading the Penguins to the NCAA FCS Championship game, Rivers had 58 tackles, 19.5 TFLs and 14 sacks en route to second-team, All-American honors.

In the postseason, he had seven TFLs, five sacks, six quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery.

Rivers finished his Penguin career with 41 sacks, 56.5 TFLs and 173 tackles in 49 games played. He broke the school record for sacks by 19 and ranked in the top five in FCS history in career sacks.

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