Mychal Rivera facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mychal Rivera

Rivera with the Oakland Raiders in 2014
No. 81
Position:	Tight end
Personal information
Born:	(1990-09-08) September 8, 1990 (age 34) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:	245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
High school:	Birmingham (Los Angeles, California)
College:	Tennessee
NFL Draft:	2013 / Round: 6 / Pick: 184
Career history
Oakland Raiders (2013–2016) Jacksonville Jaguars (2017)
Career highlights and awards
First-team All-SEC (2012)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions: 146 Receiving yards: 1,413 Receiving touchdowns: 10
Player stats at PFR

Mychal Rashawn Rivera (born September 8, 1990) is a former American football player. He played as a tight end, a position that catches passes and blocks for teammates. Mychal played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers. He was later chosen by the Oakland Raiders in the 2013 NFL draft.

Early Life and High School Football

Mychal Rivera was born in Los Angeles, California. His parents are George and Yolanda Rivera. He has a mix of Puerto Rican, African American, and German family backgrounds.

Even though he lived in Valencia, California, Mychal played high school football at Birmingham High School. In his senior year (2007), he caught 21 passes for 210 yards. He also scored 3 touchdowns. His team, the Patriots, had a great season with 13 wins and only 1 loss. They won the West Valley League championship. Experts at Rivals.com thought he was a good player, ranking him as the 39th best tight end for his age group.

College Football Career

Mychal first planned to play for the Oregon Ducks in 2008. However, his coach asked him to switch to playing on the offensive line. Mychal decided to leave and play for College of the Canyons, a junior college, in 2009. There, he caught 32 passes for 316 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Playing for the Tennessee Volunteers

In 2010, Mychal joined the Tennessee Volunteers. He liked that their new coach, Derek Dooley, used tight ends a lot in his plays.

2010 Season

Mychal played in all 13 games during the 2010 season. He caught 11 passes for 112 yards. In one important game against Ole Miss, he made a 26-yard catch that helped his team keep a scoring drive going. His best game that year was against Memphis, where he caught 3 passes for 29 yards.

2011 Season

In 2011, Mychal started in all 12 games for the Volunteers. He caught 29 passes for 344 yards and scored one touchdown. He was one of the top tight ends in the SEC (Southeastern Conference) for catches and yards. Against Florida, he caught 5 passes for 71 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown. He also had 5 catches for 85 yards against Georgia.

2012 Season

Before the 2012 season, Mychal was named to the Pre-Season All-SEC Third-team. He started in 10 of 12 games. He had an amazing season, catching 36 passes for 562 yards and 5 touchdowns. He broke the team record for most receiving yards by a tight end in a single season, a record previously held by Jason Witten. Mychal also became one of only two Tennessee tight ends to gain over 1,000 receiving yards in their college career.

He caught 4 passes for 47 yards and a touchdown against Florida. Against Georgia, he had 3 catches for 82 yards, including a career-long 62-yard catch. His best game was against Missouri, where he caught 10 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown. After this great season, he was named All-SEC by several sports groups.

Professional Football Career

Mychal Rivera was chosen by the Oakland Raiders in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL draft. He was the 11th tight end picked in that draft.

Oakland Raiders (2013–2016)

2013 Season

Mychal started his first season as a backup tight end. In his first game, he caught two passes for 26 yards. On September 29, 2013, he scored his first career touchdown against Washington. The next week, he started his first game against the San Diego Chargers. On November 17, 2013, he caught a season-high five passes for 54 yards and scored his second touchdown. Mychal finished his first season with 38 catches for 407 yards and 4 touchdowns. He played in all 16 games and started 3 of them.

2014 Season

In his second season, Mychal started as the main tight end, sharing the role with David Ausberry. In the first game, he caught three passes for 31 yards. On November 2, 2014, he had a career-high 8 catches for 38 yards and scored two touchdowns against the Seattle Seahawks. The next week, he caught 6 passes for 64 yards and another touchdown against the Denver Broncos. On December 7, 2014, Mychal had his best game yet, catching 7 passes for a career-high 109 yards and a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers. He ended his second season with 58 catches, 534 yards, and 4 touchdowns. He started 10 games and played in all 16.

2015 Season

After a strong 2014 season, many thought Mychal would be the starting tight end again. However, the Raiders brought in Lee Smith and drafted Clive Walford. Mychal started as a backup but saw less playing time as Walford improved. On November 15, 2015, he caught six passes for 46 yards against the Minnesota Vikings. In a game against the Denver Broncos, he caught 3 passes for 49 yards and his only touchdown of the season. In his third year, Mychal had 32 catches for 280 yards and one touchdown. He played in all regular season games but did not start any.

2016 Season

For the 2016 season, Clive Walford was expected to be the main tight end. Mychal did not catch a pass until Week 4. On October 30, 2016, he had his best game of the season, catching 3 passes for 36 yards and scoring his first touchdown of the year. He finished the 2016 season with 18 catches for 192 yards and one touchdown. He played in 13 games and started two.

Jacksonville Jaguars (2017)

On March 22, 2017, Mychal Rivera signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars. This meant he was reunited with his former high school and college teammate, Malik Jackson. Unfortunately, on September 1, 2017, Mychal was placed on injured reserve because of a hand injury. The Jaguars later decided not to keep him for the next season.

NFL Career Statistics

Regular Season Stats

Playoff Stats

Personal Life and Family

Mychal Rivera was born in Los Angeles, California. His family background includes Puerto Rican, African American, and German heritage. His parents are Yolanda Rivera, who used to be a model, and George Rivera. Mychal has two sisters. His older sister was the actress and singer Naya Rivera (1987–2020), who was famous for her role as Santana Lopez on the TV show Glee. His younger sister is Nickayla Rivera (born 1994), who is a runway model.