WAYNE, N.J. – William Paterson senior wide receiver Joel Rivera (Hoboken, N.J./Hoboken) has been invited to participate in his second football all-star game as he has been picked to represent Team USA in the 2009 Tazon de Estrellas (Bowl of the Stars) to be played on Saturday, Dec. 19, in Monterrey, Mexico.

Formerly known as the Aztec Bowl, Rivera will be one of 50 NCAA Division III players to play for the United States team that will face the Tec Monterrey All-Stars on the Tec de Monterrey Campus Estado de Mexico. Rivera also will play in the inaugural Division III Football Senior Classic Saturday, Dec. 5, at Salem Stadium, in Salem, Va.

Rivera, who established new Pioneer records with his 74 receptions for 965 yards to earn 2008 first-team all-New Jersey Athletic Conference and second-team all-region accolades, has 51 catches for 751 yards and nine touchdowns this fall. He is the Pioneers' career leader in receptions (159), yardage (2,209) and 23 touchdowns

Rivera played professional baseball in the Milwaukee Brewers' organization after being selected in the 15th round of the 2003 Draft out of Hoboken High School. After spending two years in the minors, he elected to attend college, and walked on to the William Paterson football team in 2006 after not playing the sport since early in his scholastic career. The 6-foot-1, 190-pounder was a quick study, contributing in seven games primarily on special teams as a freshman while hauling in one reception. He had a breakout season as a sophomore in 2007, leading the Pioneers with 33 catches, 493 yards and seven touchdowns in nine starts while playing alongside the Pioneers' all-time receiving leader in Moon. Rivera was fifth in the NJAC in receptions/game (3.67), sixth in receiving yards/game (54.8) and seventh in scoring/TDs (4.7 points/game) as a sophomore, a year before establishing new school records with his 74 catches and 965 receiving yards during the 2008 campaign to earn spots on the D3Football.com All-East Region Second Team and the All-NJAC First Team. Rivera also caught seven touchdown passes and returned eight kickoffs for 158 yards (19.8 yards/return) last fall, and ranked first in both receiving yards/game (96.5, 30th in Division III) and receptions/game (7.4, 16th in NCAA), and seventh in all-purpose yardage (114.3 yards/game), in the NJAC final statistics.