Former North Brunswick kicker Mike Rivers remains confident in pursuit of NFL opportunity

Mike Rivers is far from giving up on his NFL dreams.

The 2018 North Brunswick graduate is currently a free agent, hoping to find a spot on an NFL team for the first time in his career. After spending four seasons at North Carolina A&T, Rivers spent one final season as a graduate student at Troy.

Now 24, the former Scorpion is showing off his skills at punting showcases around the country, hoping to impress the right eyes.

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"I love the sport, and I know I'm good enough to play," Rivers said. "I can beat out any guy in the NFL; I've done it. I know I can play; I just need the opportunity."

Rivers graduated early from North Brunswick to become an Aggie in 2018. He delivered 110 punts in his first two seasons before graduating in 2021 and transferring to Troy as a graduate student.

"Football made me see things that a lot of people around here don't ever get the chance to see, which is something I'm grateful for," he said.

Since the NFL's inception over a century ago, just six Black punters have played in the league. Four of those punters have come in the last 23 years. Rivers says the racial disparity in the position is undeniable, but he tries to look at it through a positive lens.

"It's a weird position, and nobody Black wants to be a punter," he said. "I've never been someone who was doing what everyone else did. I've always done something different."

"I would say it's an advantage for me because there's not many out there, and I know the NFL is trying to push equality."

Two years removed from college, Rivers was honest about the toll not getting opportunities can take.

"It's hard because it's like, if I'm not getting anything, why would I keep going?" he said. "You've gotta always stay ready. If that call does come and you're not ready and don't perform right, you're done. You're never going to get that shot again."

Rivers' search for his place amongst the world's few NFL punters will continue thanks to a mentality he's honed over the years.

"I go 110% on everything," Rivers said. "I have people depending on me to perform. That opportunity always comes around, and something always sparks, so you just have to wait."