COCOA – With schools scrambling to uncover top cornerback prospects around Florida in the Class of 2011, it should come as no surprise that plenty of names have been emerging as potential BCS-school targets over the course of the spring. One of those targets on the rise happens to be Cocoa’s Rick Rivers, a player whose size (6-0, 170) and versatility have plenty of college programs intrigued by his potential.
“There’s been a lot of schools to stop through and look at me,” Rivers noted. “We have a lot of playmakers here at Cocoa High School.
Colleges checking in on Rivers’ highly regarded teammate – rising senior running back Chevelle Buie – have also been inquiring as to what type of player Rivers is as well. With a long and lanky frame primed to add plenty of weight, Rivers has plenty of interest from colleges thinking he could play as a bigger cornerback or possibly a safety on the next level as well.
“I never knew I was even that big for a cornerback,” he said with a laugh. “Then I started noticing on television that a lot of guys are 5-8, 5-9. Now I just need to worry about putting on a little bit of weight.”
Interestingly enough, Rivers originally started out at another position – defensive end – and as a junior he moved to cornerback. That’s not a position switch that happens every day in football, but it’s one that worked out beautifully for Rivers and Cocoa head coach John Wilkinson.
“I feel like I have a lot of untapped potential (at the cornerback position),” Rivers said. “I feel whatever the coaches ask me to do on the field, I have the ability to do it.”
Wilkinson concurs that the sky is the limit for one of his star players. He recorded 80 tackles and four interceptions in helping the Tigers finish 14-0 with the Class 2A state title.
“He started off as a sophomore as a 160-pound defensive end,” Wilkinson said. “He would hit and fly to the ball. We moved him to cornerback as a junior, and he’s done whatever we asked of him ever since. He has long arms and good hips. He’s just going to keep getting better every day.”
For Wilkinson, it’s more than just the fact that Rivers can get better, it’s the fact he works so hard to do so that impresses him the most.
“He’s constantly asking questions, and he wants to get better. That’s the most important thing,” Wilkinson said of Rivers.
Looking ahead, Rivers plans to take a trip to Florida over the summer with Buie and possibly some other Cocoa Tigers as well. Rivers holds the Florida program in high regards. If the Gators were to offer, they might be tough to beat.
“That’s my team,” Rivers said of Florida. “If I were to get an offer (from the Gators) it would be a dream come true.”