ELLENWOOD, Ga. — The NFL preseason has been trimmed to two games and may be reduced to zero.

The league had no spring mini-camps.

The Canadian Football League season was canceled.

No NCAA Div. II quarterback has been drafted by an NFL team in nine years. The only Div. II signal-caller in an NFL camp last year was Luis Perez of Texas A&M-Commerce, who was released by the Philadelphia Eagles and Detroit Lions during preseason.

The odds seem to be stacked against QB Roland Rivers III, who guided Slippery Rock University to the national semifinals last fall. He won the Harlon Hill Trophy as the best player in Div. II in the process.

And he's not worried about his football future.

Not at all.

“When the league opens up, I will be in somebody's camp and I will take full advantage of that opportunity,” Rivers said. “I truly believe that. I still have faith in the process.”

The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Rivers threw for 4,460 yards and 52 touchdowns, rushed for 700 yards and nine scores while shattering SRU and Div. II records in 2019.

“I'm no stranger to adversity,” he said. “I'm ready to play football right now. All I've been doing since the end of last season is working to get better.

“I just talked to my agent last week. He said a few teams want to bring me in for a tryout when camps begin. I'll be fully ready for that opportunity.”

SRU football coach Shawn Lutz isn't surprised by Rivers' determination to make the NFL.

“I will never put anything past Roland Rivers,” Lutz said. “He may be the most confident player I've ever come across. He believes in his abilities and so do I.

“This guy's football career was over. He tore his labrum at Valdosta State. He comes up here as a third-string quarterback and winds up leading our team to the best season in program history and wins the Harlon Hill. I'm so proud of that guy.”

Lutz admitted to being puzzled by Rivers not being picked up by some NFL team by now.

“He's a physical specimen at that position and those guys don't grow on trees,” the coach said. “And he's a leader. Roland brought us back late in a number of big games to win. It takes a special quality in an individual to do that.”

Rivers is listed as the top quarterback prospect out of Div. II by Draft Scout. Rounding out the top six are Jayro Campbell of Ferris State, Jacob Park of Mississippi Southern, Quinton Maxwell of Indiana (Pa.), Brook Bolles of Central Missouri and Collin DeGalbo of Kutztown.

He's been attending pro workout camps in Jacksonville and San Diego.

“I've been working out with pro pospects in different sports,” Rivers said. “There are a lot of athletes in the same situation I'm in. I know I'm not alone.

“I've been keeping up with my fitness and training. Good things are on the horizon. I'm not looking at (playing football) next year. I'm looking at this year.

“My experiences at Slippery Rock made me a better man. I'm grateful to my coaches, my teammates, that community. I want to represent Slippery Rock University. I plan to do it proud,” he added.