When former Bulls' running back James Starks went to the NFL in 2010, he left his shoes for wide receiver Marcus Rivers to train in.
Now, two seasons later, Rivers finds himself in the shoes of Starks once again.
On Sunday, Rivers signed a free agent deal with the Green Bay Packers. Although former Bulls wide receiver Marcus Rivers' name wasn't called during the NFL Draft over the weekend, he received a call afterward from a Super Bowl contender.
"My agent was calling me and telling me a bunch of teams were calling me to be a free agent," Rivers said. "When I found out I was going to be a Packer the first thing I thought about was James. I tried to get in contact with him, and just take in the process."
Starks and Rivers helped lead the Bulls to their only Mid-American Conference title in the 2008 season. The two will now be on the same field as the defending NFC North Champions.
I'm trying to stay humble," Rivers said. "I've got a lovely mother who always keeps me grounded so I'm just taking it all in."
Rivers, native of Lackawanna, N.Y., had a solid 2011 season, catching 60 passes for 615 yards and two touchdowns. Over his four-year career, he has amassed 117 career catches for 1339 yards and eight touchdowns.
He will join a squad that has an elite passing game, with former Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers at quarterback and receivers Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, Jordy Nelson, and James Jones.
"Not in a million years [did I envision myself catching passes from Rodgers]," Rivers said. "I'm glad it's him. I can't go wrong. He'll make me look good and I'll make him look good."
With all these players on the roster, earning a spot on a team that went 15-1 during the regular season will be tough.
So what's next for Rivers?
"Football is everything," Rivers said. "There's no more school so it's just going to be football. Just learning the little techniques that make people great."
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