- Garland Rivers
Infobox NFL player
team=Chicago Bears
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Name=Garland Rivers
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DateOfBirth=birth date and age|1964|11|3
Birthplace=city-state|Canton|Ohio
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Height_ft=6
Height_in=1
Weight_lbs=181
Position=DB
College=Michigan
DraftedYear=1987
DraftedRound=4
DraftedPick=92
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Career Highlights=Y
AFLAllStar=
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Awards=
Honors=All-American
Retired #s=
Records=Michigan single-game tackles record (1984–)
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DatabaseFootball=RIVERGAR01
NFL=
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CBS=
years=1987
1990-91
1992-93
teams=NFLChicago Bears
AFLAlbany Firebirds
AFLArizona Rattlers
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HOFYear =Garland A. Rivers (born birth date|1964|11|3 in city-state|Canton|Ohio) is a former professional
American football defensive back who was drafted in the1987 NFL Draft by theDetroit Lions of theNational Football League . He played briefly for theChicago Bears in the1987 NFL season after having starred as anAll-American for theMichigan Wolverines football team for whom he set the single-game tackles record as a sophomore. This record still stands. After returning to theUniversity of Michigan to complete hisbachelors degree , he returned to professional football for several seasons in theArena Football League . However, before returning to professional football he became embroiled in a scandal involving sports agents engaging amateur athletes.College
After attending
Canton McKinley High School , where they won the 1981Ohio High School Athletic Association football championships, [cite web|url=http://www.ohsaa.org/sports/history/FT/state_results.htm|title=OHSAA All-Time State Football Tournament Results|accessdate=2008-01-27|publisher=Ohio High School Athletic Association] he went to the University of Michigan where he became the onlyfreshman varsity letter winner on the football team in 1983.cite web|url=http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fballam/aarivers.htm|title=University of Michigan Football All-American: Garland Rivers|accessdate=2007-12-05|publisher=The Regents of the University of Michigan|date=2007-02-10 ] Rivers, who wore #13 as a Wolverine, [cite web|url=http://141.211.39.65/allroster/fbsearch.htm|title=Bentley Historical Library -- -- U of M Football Rosters|publisher=The Regents of the University of Michigan|accessdate=2007-12-06|date=2005-08-30 ] started 32 consecutive games until a shoulder injury caused him to end the streak. He posted sixinterception s in his Michigan career, including one for atouchdown . Another one during the same season was a game saving interception in the 1986Fiesta Bowl in a 27–23 victory over theNebraska Cornhuskers football team. [cite web|url=http://stats.ath.umich.edu/football/gametot.php?gkey=378|title=Versus Nebraska January 1, 1986|accessdate=2007-12-05|publisher=Regents of the University of Michigan|date=2003] Rivers started 12 of the 13 games his senior season for theBig Ten Conference champions and was one of three All-Americans (along with Jumbo Elliott &Jim Harbaugh ) that season as the team went 11–2 and was invited to the Rose Bowl. [cite web|url=http://bentley.umich.edu/athdept/football/fbteam/1986fbt.htm|title=1986 Football Team|accessdate=2007-12-05|publisher=The Regents of the University of Michigan|date=2007-03-31 ] Rivers once had 17 tackles and an assist as a sophomore defensive back in a game against the 1984 National ChampionBrigham Young Cougars football team in the 1984Holiday Bowl . [cite web|url=http://stats.ath.umich.edu/football/gametot.php?gkey=360|title=Versus Brigham Young December 21, 1984|publisher=Regents of the University of Michigan|date=2003|accessdate=2007-12-06] 17 tackles continues to stand alone as a school single game record.cite web|url=http://stats.ath.umich.edu/football/footstart.php|title=Michigan Football Statistic Archive Query Page|publisher=Regents of the University of Michigan|date=2003|accessdate=2007-11-30]His college athletic career was not without controversy. He was named by Michigan Football coach and
Michigan Wolverines athletic director Bo Schembechler as one of two players (the other beingRobert Perryman ) who had transgressedNational Collegiate Athletic Association rules in violation of their amateur status. According to Schembechler, both players had signed contracts and accepted loans from agents before their college eligibility expired.cite web|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE5D91238F930A15750C0A96F948260|title= His Players Broke Rules, Schembechler Testifies|date=1989-03-23 |accessdate=2007-12-06|publisher=The New York Times Company] Schembechler testified in aFederal District Court case involving charges of mail fraud and racketeering against Norby Walters and Lloyd Bloom. According to Schembechler, Rivers had denied having entered into an agreement before the team's1986 NCAA Division I-A football season had ended in a meeting with him, but confessed in aFederal Bureau of Investigation meeting. Because the investigation occurred late in the Spring academic term at Michigan, River'sathletic scholarship in the formtuition androom and board had already been fully paid by the University. However, when Rivers returned to Michigan in 1988 to complete his degree, the university did not provide a scholarship for which he would have otherwise been eligible.Professional career
Rivers was drafted by the
Detroit Lions of theNational Football League with the eighth pick of the fourth round (92nd overall) of the 1987 NFL Draft. [cite web|url=http://www.databasefootball.com/draft/draftyear.htm?lg=nfl&yr=1987|title=1987 NFL Player Draft |accessdate=2007-12-05|publisher=databaseSports.com|work=databaseFootball.com] He played briefly for theChicago Bears underMike Ditka in 1987. [cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/players/garlandrivers/profile?id=RIV461435|title=All-Time Players: Garland Rivers|accessdate=2007-12-05|publisher=NFL Enterprises LLC] The Bears went 11–4 that season and qualified for the 1987-88 NFL playoffs that season. [cite web|url=http://www.databasefootball.com/teams/teamyear.htm?tm=CHI&yr=1987&lg=nfl|title=1987 Chicago Bears|publisher=databaseSports.com|work=databaseFootball.com|accessdate=2007-12-05]Garland Rivers played for several years in the Arena Football League as a
wide receiver andlinebacker . He mostly played on defense. He played for theAlbany Firebirds for 1990 and 1991. The Firebirds qualified for the 4-team 1991 AFL playoffs as the #4 seed and lost to the #1 seedDetroit Drive in the first round. Then, he played for theArizona Rattlers in 1992 and 1993. [cite web|url=http://arenafan.com/players/?player=1351|title=Garland Rivers |accessdate=2007-12-06|publisher=ArenaFan, Inc. ] The Rattlers qualified for 8-team the 1993 AFL playoffs as the #4 seed and advanced to the second round before losing to the #1 seed Detroit Drive.Family
His son Jewone Snow, by Linda Snow, is a current McKinley Bulldogs (class of 2010) football standout. Snow is the sister of sister of
Percy Snow andEric Snow , who were also standout athletes for McKinley. [cite web|url=http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=308841|title=St. Xavier’s loss is McKinley’s gain as Bulldogs take over the top spot in Ohio|accessdate=2008-01-27|publisher=The Repository|author=Beaven, Chris|date2006-09-20 ]Notes
External links
* [http://www.geocities.com/davetgc/Top_Michigan_Football_Players_1969_to_2000.html Top Michigan Football Players 1969-2000]
* [http://motownsportsrevival.blogspot.com/2005/08/100-greatest-michigan-football-players.html Top 100 Michigan Football players]
* [http://www.arenafan.com/players/Garland_Rivers-1351/ AFL stats]
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