Career and Post YSU Accomplishment
Two-time All-American...three-time first-team All-MVFC selection...had 173 career tackles, including 119 solo stops...had 56.5 tackles for loss, 41 sacks and 47 QB hurries...played in 49 games making 37 starts...YSU career record holder in sacks and ranks in the top five in FCS history...ranks fourth in school history in career TFLs, but had the most by an individual since 1982...participated in the 2017 NFL Combine and Reese's Senior Bowl.
2016 (Senior) | Game-By-Game Stats
Second-Team All-America selection by STATS and The Associated Press...finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award for the nation's top FCS Defensive Player...a first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection for the third straight season...started all 16 games for the 12-4 Penguins which reached the Division I National Championship Game...credited with 58 total tackles (44 solos), 19.5 TFLs and 15 sacks...also had 21 QB hurries...had sacks in 11 games...had a high of three sacks in win at Illinois State...finished 10th in the FCS with (0.88 sacks per contest) and was second in the MVFC...in the playoffs had 21 total tackles (13 solos), seven TFLs, five sacks, six QB hurries and a fumble recovery...in MFVC games had 30 tackles, 24 of which were solo stops...had 9.5 TFLs, eight sacks and nien QB hurries...had a season-best seven tackles against Southern Illinois, including six solo stops...in the National Championship Game against James Madison had six tackles (three solos), two TFLs and a sack...against South Dakota had five solos stops, including two sacks...had five tackles in win over Indiana State...at Illinois State had four solo tackles, three of which were sacks...at Eastern Washington in the FCS semifinals had four tackles, two sacks at two QB hurries...had four solo tackles against option-oriented Wofford in the quarterfinals...at Missouri State had four tackles, a sack, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery...at Jacksonville State had four tackles, including a sack...against Duquesne had three tackles, two of which were sacks...had three solo tackles against Samford, including a sack...had three solo stops against UNI, including a sack...served as a team captain...earned his fourth letter...named the 2016-17 YSU Scholar-Athlete of the Year...was the YSU Football Team's John Delserone MVP and shared Jermaine Hopkins Defensive Lineman of the Year honors with Avery Moss.
2015 (Junior) | Game-By-Game Stats
Third-Team All-America selection by STATS...was in the mix throughout the season for FCS Defensive Player-of-the-Year honors...a first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference selection for the second straight season...set the school career record for sacks during the year and through three seasons has 26...on the year had 52 total tackles, including 37 solo stops...had two more tackles in one fewer game from sophomore to junior campaign...finished with 15.5 TFLs (87 yards in losses) and nine sacks (63 yards)...forced a fumble at South Dakota...ranked 17th in the FCS and was third in the MVFC averaging 0.73 sacks per game...ranked 22nd in the FCS with 1.4 TFLs per contest...was also credited with 13 quarterback hurries...11 of 13 hurries came in the final five games...played in all 11 contests and started 10 games with eight coming at defensive end and two at linebacker (did not start season finale because of senior)...had a sack in seven contests...had at least four tackles eight times...in MVFC games had 36 tackles and five sacks...had a season-best nine tackles, including seven solos against Robert Morris...had 4.5 TFLs and two sacks against the Colonials...had seven solo tackles, including a TFL, against Illinois State...at Indiana State had seven total tackles, including five solos...had a sack for an 11-yard loss against the Sycamores...had five solo tackles, including three TFLs and two sacks against South Dakota State...set the school career record for sacks during the contest against the Jackrabbits...had five assisted tackles at Southern Illinois...had four tackles (three solos and an assist) vs. North Dakota State...had a sack for an eight-yard loss against the Bison...at Western Illinois had four tackles, a sack and was credited with five quarterback hurries in the contest...had three solo stops, two TFLs and a sack for a 10-yard loss at Pittsburgh...had three solo tackles and a sack for a five-yard loss against Illinois State...also had four tackles (two solos and two assists) against Saint Francis...named YSU'S John Delserone Team MVP...earned his third letter.
2014 (Sophomore) | Game-By-Game Stats
A first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference in what was a breakout season...had more sacks as a sophomore than he did tackles as a freshman...lone Penguin to be named first-team All-MVFC...played in all 12 games and made 11 starts at defensive end...finished with 50 total tackles, including 31 solo stops...had 17 TFLs and 14 sacks to go along with 11 quarterback hurries...in eight league games had 41 total tackles, including 23 solo stops…had 10 sacks, 11 TFLs and seven QB hurries…had sacks in five league games…the 14 sacks for the campaign were the third most in a season in school history...trailed only Harry Deligianis (17 in 1997) and Jermaine Hopkins (15 in 1994) in school history...of note, both players had postseason sacks added into their totals...ranked fifth in the FCS averaging 1.08 sacks per game...had four sacks against South Dakota, which tied the school mark that was set on three previous occasions...the last time it had occurred was in 1991 by Pat Danko...the game before in the win at South Dakota State, he had three sacks...in that game he had eight total tackles, six of which were solo stops...against South Dakota had six total stops, including five solos...had seven tackles against Western Illinois (three solos and four assists)...had six tackles against Southern Illinois (five solos and one assist)...registered five stops in road games at Missouri State and Illinois State...had four solo stops, including two sacks, in win over Saint Francis (Pa.)...had three stops against Duquesne and Indiana State...named the HBK Defensive Player of the Game vs. Duquesne, South Dakota State and South Dakota...tabbed the Hopkins Defensive Lineman of the Game against Illinois, Saint Francis (Pa.), Missouri State and Illinois State...earned his second letter.
2013 (Freshman) | Game-By-Game Stats
Played in 10 games as a defensive end reserve...credited with 13 tackles, including seven solo stops...posted three sacks on the season...had three solo stops in win over Duquesne...against the Dukes had two tackles for losses, including a sack for a two-yard loss...in YSU debut had two solos and an assist stop against Dayton...had two tackles at Indiana State including a sack for an eight-yard loss...credited with two tackles at Michigan State...had tackles against Illinois State and UNI...also had three quarterback hurries...earned his first letter.
Fork Union: Was a standout on the defensive line in the fall of 2012...played defensive end...coach was John Shuman.
High School: Played linebacker and tight end at Kinston...was an all-conference selection on defense...Kinston advanced to NCHSAA 2A State Championship Game during senior season...lost to West Stokes in the finals, 21-14...coach was Nick Anderson...also played basketball...as a senior, Vikings were 26-4 winning the NCHSAA 2A Championship by defeating Waxhaw Cuthbertson 58-55 in the finals.
Personal: Parents are John Rivers and Mary Leinonen...major is business...sister plays basketball at Radford...is the 2016-17 recipient of the Jermaine Hopkins Scholarship.
