Awards and Honors:
2019 First Team HERO Sports All-American (Athlete)
2019 Third Team STATS FCS All-American (All Purpose)
2019 First Team All-OVC
Dean's List (F19)
AD’s Honor Roll (F16, S17, S20)
2019 (Senior): Played in all 15 games, starting the final 13 after taking over for the injured Oatsvall early against Central Arkansas… Posted program-record totals in total offensive yards (3,922), total offensive yards per game (261.5), passing yards (3,208) and touchdown passes (28)… Among NCAA quarterbacks ranked eighth in rushing yards (714 yards)… Led OVC in passing efficiency (140.4) and touchdown passes (28)… Notched season’s best performance at Tennessee Tech (Oct. 19) completing 16-of-23 passes for a program-record tying five touchdowns and no interceptions (248.68 rating) while also rushing for two touchdowns on seven carries for 84 yards… Opened NCAA Playoffs with another near-perfect outing, throwing three touchdowns on 18-of-23 passing for 264 yards (217.72 rating) against Furman (Nov. 30)… Used his legs in Govs’ NCAA second-round victory at Sacramento State (Dec. 7), rushing for a career-best 164 yards on 12 carries, including a touchdown… Named OVC Offensive Player of the Week three times during the season after performances against Jacksonville State (Sept. 29), at Tennessee Tech (Oct. 27) and against Eastern Illinois (Nov. 24).
2018 (Junior): Appeared in six games, starting three, before an injury ended his season prematurely… completed 28-of-53 passes for 365 yards and two touchdowns to one interception… rushed 30 times for 185 yards and another score… completed 11-of-18 passes for a season-high 127 yards against Presbyterian (Sept. 8), and rushed eight times for 108 yards and a score… completed 6-of-8 passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns at Morehead State (Sept. 15).
2017 (Sophomore): Played in 11 games on the year, starting the first seven of the season... scored four rushing touchdowns against Morehead State (Sept. 16), tied for second-most in school history... earned OVC Co-Offensive Player of the week for his performance against Morehead… finished the year with 385 yards rushing and six touchdowns... completed 38 of 71 passes for 366 yards and three touchdowns... ran for a season-high 103 yards and a touchdown at Murray State (Sept. 23)... completed eight of 12 passes against Morehead State for a season-high 118 yards.
2016 (Freshman): Saw action in season’s final five games and set about rearranging the Austin Peay record book, finishing with just shy of 1,000 yards total offense in five contests… his 6.69 yards per carry ranked second in school history for a single-season… carried the ball 14 times for 84 yards in his first action against Mercer, Oct. 22… the following week at Southeast Missouri, completed 12-for-17 passes for 90 yards and added 126 in 12 rushing attempts; he also posted the first rushing and passing touchdowns of his Austin Peay career… tabbed as Ohio Valley Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week and became Austin Peay’s first STATS FCS Offensive Player of the Week after amassing a school-record 466 yards total offense and a school freshman-record five passing touchdowns against Tennessee State, Nov. 5; he completed 17-of-25 passes for 322 yards and rushed 20 times for 144 yards, most by an OVC quarterback in 2016, becoming the first Governor with a 300-yard passing day since 2011 and the first to pass for 300 yards and rush for 100 yards from available record-keeping… capped his freshman campaign with 13 carries for 73 yards at Kentucky, Nov. 19.
High School: 630 total yards, nine touchdowns as a senior; also posted 37 tackles and two interceptions on defense... also received offers from Navy, Jacksonville State and Chattanooga, among others... Division II-AA All-State athlete as a senior at McCallie... 67th-ranked player in Tennessee by 247sports.com... two-star ranking from both 247sports.com and Rivals.
Personal: Son of Eric and LaShandra Rivers... has two siblings, Eric Jr. and Kayla... born Nov. 23... went on a mission trip to Indonesia prior to 2016 camp... majoring in political science.
