Countdown to Kickoff: 10 Days
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Texas Tech's 2016 football season will begin in exactly 10 days with a Sept. 3 kickoff against Stephen F. Austin.
Today, we continue our Countdown to Kickoff series with a notable way the number 10 relates to Red Raider football.
10: Gabe Rivera logged 10 tackles in his dominant performance against No. 1 Washington in 1982.
Legendary, all-time greats all have their signature moments or games. For Michael Crabtree, that game was Texas Tech's win over Texas in 2008. Wes Welker put on a show in the team's win over Texas A&M in 2002. Zach Thomas had the 1995 Texas A&M game.
Gabe Rivera's signature performance came during his senior season - a 10-3 loss to top-ranked Washington. Senor Sack was simply dominant in Seattle, logging 10 tackles, four pass deflections, four quarterback hurries an a sack. The Huskies, a significant favorite entering the game, simply had no answer for Rivera and were lucky to escape with a win.
The Crystal City, Texas product earned consensus All-American honors that season and was named the Southwest Conference's Defensive Player of the Year.
Rivera was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012 and enshrined in Texas Tech's Ring of Honor in 2014.
Tomorrow: 9 - We look at one of DeAndre Washington's most impressive performances as a Red Raider.