They play different sports at different levels at opposite ends of the country.

But the lesson in perseverance and determination that Roland Rivers III and Klay Thompson have demonstrated over the past two years is something we all can learn from.

Rivers is the former Slippery Rock University quarterback who won the Harlon Hill Trophy as the best college football player in Division II — then didn’t play for the next two seasons. The timing of the COVID-19 pandemic wiped out any potential free agent visits to pro camps.

The Canadian Football League went dark that next season, so it appeared Rivers would be one of those professional sport hopefuls to fall through the cracks.

Thompson is a standout guard for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors who enjoyed a few league championships and runs to the finals with that franchise. A pair of Achilles injuries knocked him out of action for two full seasons and threatened to end his playing career.

Rivers and Thompson could have rested on their laurels. Rivers had already come back from surgery on his throwing shoulder to become a record-setting college quarterback. Thompson enjoyed more than a few glorious moments on the national basketball stage.

To go from successes like those two guys had to athletic dormancy for two years?

A lot of athletes would have called it quits at some point and moved on to the next phase of their lives.

Not these two guys.

Rivers was invited to a Steelers mini-camp, but not offered a contract. The USFL draft came and went, ignoring him along the way. But the man kept working out, kept learning the game, working on his body and his football mind.

Thompson went through painful rehabilitation, often alone with a team trainer, far removed from the spotlight.

All these guys wanted to do was find a way back to playing the sport they love. And they have.

Rivers has signed with the Pittsburgh Maulers of the USFL and has four games — beginning this Sunday at 2 p.m. — to resurrect his football career.

Thompson was able to play 32 games for the Warriors in the regular season, averaging 20.4 points per game. His return to the spotlight was complete Thursday night with a 32-point performance — including eight treys — as Golden State eliminated Dallas and advanced to the NBA Finals.

Thompson is back. Rivers may be on his way.

Hats off to both of these athletes and others like them.

Dreams are reachable. Sometimes it takes a never-say-die attitude and a determined approach to get there. But if it’s worth the effort, give the effort.

We can learn from athletes.

We can definitely learn from these two guys.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle