Hall of Fame
For Matt Rivera, three letters and one group of teammates weren't enough. The Muscatine, Iowa native slipped on both a football and baseball helmet in his time with the Duhawks from 1982-1986 for six seasons of impact for Loras College.
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Around the time the Chicago Bears were writing the words of the Super Bowl shuffle, Rivera was writing many of the return and receiving records in Loras' football record book. When the weather broke every year, Rivera used the speed and soft hands to receive fly balls in the outfield and get himself on base for the baseball team.
As a co-captain and record holder, few have performed at the level Rivera did as a two-sport athlete at Loras College. He left with two receiving records and five kickoff return records for the football team, scoring 16 touchdowns in his senior season. He built a baseball career on speed, defense, and very productive swinging of the bat, topping out with a .471 batting average during his junior season. He was a NAIA All-District selection in both sports.
Rivera came to the Duhawks after one year at Muscatine Community College and finished with a degree in Physical Education with a minor in history from Loras College. He also spent over two decades in coaching baseball at the high school level and remains a teacher and coach in Muscatine, Iowa. He has also been awarded an Excellence in Education teacher award. He is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and has contributed to mission trips in Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. Joining Matt in Muscatine is his wife Susanna. They are the proud parents of Barry, Brance, and Benjamin.
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