MOBILE, Ala. – Tennessee tight end Mychal Rivera will join fellow Vol Dallas Thomas at the 2013 Senior Bowl on Jan. 26, 2013 in Mobile, Ala. The All-SEC pick will be the 120th Vol to play in the prestigious game taking place at Ladd-Pebbles Stadium and televised on the NFL Network.
Rivera became UT's first All-SEC coaches' first-team tight end since Jason Witten in 2002. The All-SEC AP second-team tight end set the record for receiving yards in a single-season by a Tennessee tight end with 562 yards, surpassing the Dallas Cowboys' Witten, who has 493 in 2002 with the Vols.
Rivera closed his senior season with catches in 18 consecutive games. He posted career-highs with 10 catches for 129 yards against Missouri. Rivera had five receiving touchdowns as part of his career-best 36 catches.
Rivera is the seventh Vol senior to be invited to a postseason all-star game this year.
Ben Bartholomew, Zach Rogers and Prentiss Waggner have earned a spot in the Raycom All-Star Classic while Herman Lathers and Marsalis Teague will take part in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.
This marks the first season since 2010 that the Vols have more than one athlete in the Senior Bowl. Long snapper Morgan Cox, offensive lineman Chris Scott and defensive line Dan Williams all took part in the 2010 event.
Scott and Williams were drafted in the 2010 NFL draft with Williams becoming Tennessee’s 42nd first round pick. Scott was taken in the fifth round and Morgan Cox was picked up as a free agent by the Baltimore Ravens. Cox has snapped on every punt and kick this season for the Ravens, including the game-winning 37-yard field goal to advance the team to the AFC Championship this season.
(E-mail Stan Crawley at wscrawley@earthlink.net)