Gabriel Rivera
Encyclopedia
Gabriel Rivera is a former All American football
defensive tackle. Rivera was the 21st selection of the 1983 NFL Draft
by the Pittsburgh Steelers
. Rivera attended Texas Tech
and was nicknamed "Señor Sack."
The selection of Rivera is notable because the Pittsburgh Steelers
decided to pass on hometown boy and University of Pittsburgh
quarterback
Dan Marino
as an heir apparent to Terry Bradshaw
. The decision was made to rebuild from the defensive side as they did a decade earlier with "Mean Joe" Greene
. Rivera was considered one the fastest defensive linemen coming out of college.
As the 1983 season
progressed, Rivera slowly began to come on. But tragedy struck on October 20, 1983 when Rivera was paralyzed in drunk driving car wreck. The then-22 year old, was treated for head, neck, chest and abdominal injuries. The accident occurred at 9 PM in Ross Township
, a northern suburb of Pittsburgh. At the time Gabriel was married to Kimberly Covington, they had a son Timothy Rivera 3 weeks after the accident on November 11, 1983.
He currently resides in San Antonio, Tx with his second wife.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
defensive tackle. Rivera was the 21st selection of the 1983 NFL Draft
1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983...
by the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
. Rivera attended Texas Tech
Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Texas Tech Red Raiders are the athletic teams that represent Texas Tech University . The women's basketball team uses the name Lady Raiders; however, the school's other women's teams use the "Red Raiders" name. The university's athletic program fields teams in 15 varsity sports and 30 club sports...
and was nicknamed "Señor Sack."
The selection of Rivera is notable because the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
decided to pass on hometown boy and University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
as an heir apparent to Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
. The decision was made to rebuild from the defensive side as they did a decade earlier with "Mean Joe" Greene
Joe Greene (American football)
Charles Edward Greene, known as “Mean Joe” Greene, is a former all-pro American football defensive tackle who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. Throughout the early 1970s he was the one of most dominant defensive players in the National Football League...
. Rivera was considered one the fastest defensive linemen coming out of college.
As the 1983 season
1983 NFL season
The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
progressed, Rivera slowly began to come on. But tragedy struck on October 20, 1983 when Rivera was paralyzed in drunk driving car wreck. The then-22 year old, was treated for head, neck, chest and abdominal injuries. The accident occurred at 9 PM in Ross Township
Ross Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Ross Township is a township in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 31,105 at the 2010 census. In September 2007, Ross Township adopted the Strong Mayor/Weak Council form of government allowed by Pennsylvania statutes for townships of its class.The township is part of...
, a northern suburb of Pittsburgh. At the time Gabriel was married to Kimberly Covington, they had a son Timothy Rivera 3 weeks after the accident on November 11, 1983.
He currently resides in San Antonio, Tx with his second wife.