Gabriel Rivera

NFL player


DateOfBirth=Birth date and age|1961|4|7|mf=y
Birthplace= Crystal City, Texas
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Position=Defensive tackle
College=Texas Tech
DraftedYear=1983
DraftedRound=1
DraftedPick=21
DatabaseFootball=RIVERGAB01
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years=1983
teams=Pittsburgh Steelers
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Gabriel Rivera (born 1961) 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.

It also can be noted that Gabriel suffered from an addiction to alcohol and drugs. His son helped him overcome his addiction.