William Paterson University

WAYNE, N.J. – William Paterson senior wide receiver Joel Rivera (Hoboken, N.J./Hoboken) has been selected to participate in the inaugural Division III Football Senior Classic Saturday, Dec. 5, at Salem Stadium, in Salem, Va. The game, hosted by the Collegiate Development Football League, will showcase 90 of the nation’s top Division III student-athletes, representing the country’s 238 D-III football programs.

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, currently has 40 catches for 613 yards and seven touchdowns this fall. With his 14-yard TD reception at Montclair State Oct. 3, he became the Pioneers’ all-time career touchdown catches leader with 17 (currently 21). Rivera needs one reception and 30 yards to match the career records of 149 and 2,101 established by Kareen Moon (2004-07). Rivera is the current NJAC leader in receiving yardage (76.6 yards/game), and ranks second in receptions/game (5.0) and fourth in all-purpose yardage (99.5 yards/game).

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.