CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Even as a child, Jalen Rivers knew the value of helping others.
As a youngster growing up in Jacksonville, his parents instilled in him the importance of being an active part of his community and of reaching out to those in need. As he grew older – and began playing football – they reminded Rivers of his responsibility to set an example and be a role model to some of the youngsters around him.
They’re lessons that Rivers – now one of the veteran anchors of Miami’s offensive line – hasn’t forgotten.
On Sunday, Rivers was recognized for his contributions in the community, his excellence in the classroom and his efforts on the football field as the winner of Miami’s Ibis Award, which was presented at the athletic department’s second annual Hurricane Honors awards ceremony.
A fifth-year redshirt junior who has already earned his bachelor’s degree in sports administration and is a two-time All-ACC Academic honoree, Rivers also earned the male Scholar-Athlete Award, prompting cheers from not only his teammates who were in attendance, but from all the Hurricanes student-athletes that filled the Newman Alumni Center on campus for the event.
“This means a lot. A lot of times, players go to specific programs just to focus on football, but me, I knew it was bigger than that. I knew it was bigger than just football,” said Rivers, who has served as a pen pal and a youth football coach during his time at Miami and is also a member of the department’s Black Student-Athlete Alliance. “I knew I needed to get my academics right to play football. And with football comes a lot of responsibility, too. That includes giving back to the community and I wanted to do that as well. The youth look up to us, so I’ve made sure to touch on all areas, like the community, football, my schoolwork, all of that. … My parents raised me like that, so I appreciate them. I appreciate my coaches and everyone that supports me.”
Said Shirelle Jackson, Miami’s Executive Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development, “To have a young man of his stature, to have a young man of this athletic ability, his work ethic in the classroom, his leadership in the locker room … in all of those spaces, he’s humble. He has all of these accolades, but what stands out the most is his kind heart and his humility. He comes from an incredible family, so the leadership and humility he’s brought not only to our football locker room, but to all of our student-athletes is wonderful. He truly puts the ‘student’ in student-athlete.”