The Extra Down: From Setbacks to Leadership River Helms Keeps Pushing Forward
10/8/2026 10:00:00 AM | Football
STATESBORO – For sixth-year tight end River Helms, the path to becoming a veteran leader in the Eagles' locker room was anything but straightforward.
A native of Lester, Alabama, Helms first realized college football could become a reality toward the end of his junior year of high school.
"I started getting recruited pretty heavily," Helms said. "Coach [Ryan] Aplin was actually my first offer at UNA, and I feel like from that day everything went uphill. I played 7-on-7 with a group in Nashville, and I feel like that really helped me get my name out there. I got out to a couple of schools, and after that, it just started rolling. Ever since then, I knew I was going to play college football."
Helms initially committed to Georgia Tech, but the COVID-19 pandemic made the recruiting process unlike anything he could have anticipated. Without the opportunity to take an official visit, he began to question whether Atlanta was the right fit.
He eventually decommitted before receiving a call from then-Western Kentucky tight ends coach Zach Lankford shortly before signing day.
"Coach Lankford called me right before signing day," Helms said. "I went up to Western Kentucky and got to see the place for myself since COVID had made everything so different. I ended up loving it. It was only two and a half hours from home, which was really important to me. I loved the area, loved the coaching staff and felt like I fit in perfectly."
The transition from high school football to the college game, however, came with its own challenges.
"The transition was definitely tough," Helms said. "You could immediately tell how much faster the game was. Blocking was the toughest part because I didn't have a true tight end coach in high school, and then I got to college and had to block some really good athletes. That was tough to adjust to, especially with the pace of the game being so much faster."
That adjustment gave Helms an appreciation for just how demanding the tight end position can be. Unlike positions that may focus primarily on one side of the ball, tight ends are expected to understand and execute nearly every aspect of an offense.
"Going week to week, you have to know the run game, the pass game and all the different looks for every play," Helms said. "You have to know the different variations and really take pride in playing tight end. You have to love the game, learn it and live it. I think it's the best position in football because you have to do everything on the field, so you really have to love it."
After four seasons at WKU, Helms entered the transfer portal looking for his next opportunity. Georgia Southern quickly became a familiar option.
While driving home shortly after New Year's, Helms called Georgia Southern offensive coordinator Aplin, whom he had known from his recruitment.
"So I was already in the portal," Helms said. "Since Coach Aplin and I already had a relationship, and it was the last day of recruiting, I called him and said, 'If I detour right now and come look at Statesboro, will you be there?' He said, 'Yeah.' So I came here, and as soon as I set foot on campus, I loved it."
The familiarity went beyond his relationship with Aplin. Helms was already familiar with the offensive system and had a connection with Lankford, who had been his tight ends coach and eventually co-offensive coordinator at Western Kentucky.
"One of the biggest factors was that it was an offense I had been a part of in a way for the previous four years, so I already knew the playbook," Helms said. "I came in with my foot in the door already and knew what was going on. I had relationships with the coaches, especially with Coach Lankford being my tight end coach for my first two years in college."
Those existing relationships continued to grow as Helms began hearing from players already in Statesboro, including former Eagles Tyler Fromm.
"I talked to Tyler Fromm when I was getting recruited, too, and he had some really good things to say," Helms said. "Everybody made me feel good about the decision. As soon as I got here, this place felt like home."
Helms' first season in Statesboro, however, did not go according to plan.
In the 2025 season opener at Fresno State, Helms tore his labrum, ending his season after just one game.
For a player entering a new program and hoping to make an immediate impact, the injury timing could not have been worse.
"Obviously, an injury is never a good thing, and getting hurt in the first game of the year in a new place was tough," Helms said. "But being here in Statesboro and being around these people and this team helped me stay in good spirits. Even when I wasn't able to practice or be part of things on the field, I was still around these guys every day. We were laughing and joking around, and they kept me in a good place mentally. I would say the people in Statesboro and, most importantly, the people on this team helped me stay positive."
While the injury kept Helms off the field, it did not keep him from finding ways to contribute. Instead, his role within the tight end room evolved.
Without being able to physically participate in practice, he found himself taking on a different kind of responsibility, becoming someone younger players, like Henry Gregory and Aubrey Heath, could turn to.
"It allowed me to step up and lead in different ways," Helms said. "It gave me time to become more vocal and work on that side of leadership. I could be someone the younger guys could lean on. I would be out at practice helping them with scripts, making sure they were good with everything they needed to know that day and helping them get rolling."
Now healthy and back on the field, Helms has made an immediate impact, recording 203 receiving yards on 20 receptions and averaging 40.6 yards a game with two touchdowns.
The lessons learned have carried into his sixth season of college football, shaping an approach centered on controlling what he can and finding a way to help the team each day.
For Helms, the mindset is simple: focus on what he can control and find a way to contribute.
"It feels good, but at the end of the day, I just try to come out here and do my best every day," Helms said. "Whether it's practice, a game or anything else, I just try to give my best and do everything I can to help the team."
That mentality has been shaped by a career that has included multiple transitions and setbacks. Through it all, Helms said adversity has taught him more about the person he wants to become than anything else.
"The biggest thing in my career has been dealing with adversity and learning how to get through it," Helms said. "I've dealt with injuries and different situations, but I've always tried to keep a good mindset throughout it all. It's about finding different ways to get better in life, whether that's becoming a better man, a better leader or just a better person overall."
That perspective now extends beyond Helms himself. As one of the most experienced players in the Eagles' tight end room, he understands the responsibility that comes with being a veteran.
And as Georgia Southern prepares for a pivotal matchup against reigning Sun Belt Champions James Madison, Helms knows the Eagles will need more than just the players on the field.
"We need the fans," Helms said. "It's the Power Paulson, and we're going to bring everything we have this weekend. Having this place packed out would help us. Just hearing everybody here and feeling that energy makes a difference."
A native of Lester, Alabama, Helms first realized college football could become a reality toward the end of his junior year of high school.
"I started getting recruited pretty heavily," Helms said. "Coach [Ryan] Aplin was actually my first offer at UNA, and I feel like from that day everything went uphill. I played 7-on-7 with a group in Nashville, and I feel like that really helped me get my name out there. I got out to a couple of schools, and after that, it just started rolling. Ever since then, I knew I was going to play college football."
Helms initially committed to Georgia Tech, but the COVID-19 pandemic made the recruiting process unlike anything he could have anticipated. Without the opportunity to take an official visit, he began to question whether Atlanta was the right fit.
He eventually decommitted before receiving a call from then-Western Kentucky tight ends coach Zach Lankford shortly before signing day.
"Coach Lankford called me right before signing day," Helms said. "I went up to Western Kentucky and got to see the place for myself since COVID had made everything so different. I ended up loving it. It was only two and a half hours from home, which was really important to me. I loved the area, loved the coaching staff and felt like I fit in perfectly."
The transition from high school football to the college game, however, came with its own challenges.
"The transition was definitely tough," Helms said. "You could immediately tell how much faster the game was. Blocking was the toughest part because I didn't have a true tight end coach in high school, and then I got to college and had to block some really good athletes. That was tough to adjust to, especially with the pace of the game being so much faster."
That adjustment gave Helms an appreciation for just how demanding the tight end position can be. Unlike positions that may focus primarily on one side of the ball, tight ends are expected to understand and execute nearly every aspect of an offense.
"Going week to week, you have to know the run game, the pass game and all the different looks for every play," Helms said. "You have to know the different variations and really take pride in playing tight end. You have to love the game, learn it and live it. I think it's the best position in football because you have to do everything on the field, so you really have to love it."
After four seasons at WKU, Helms entered the transfer portal looking for his next opportunity. Georgia Southern quickly became a familiar option.
While driving home shortly after New Year's, Helms called Georgia Southern offensive coordinator Aplin, whom he had known from his recruitment.
"So I was already in the portal," Helms said. "Since Coach Aplin and I already had a relationship, and it was the last day of recruiting, I called him and said, 'If I detour right now and come look at Statesboro, will you be there?' He said, 'Yeah.' So I came here, and as soon as I set foot on campus, I loved it."
The familiarity went beyond his relationship with Aplin. Helms was already familiar with the offensive system and had a connection with Lankford, who had been his tight ends coach and eventually co-offensive coordinator at Western Kentucky.
"One of the biggest factors was that it was an offense I had been a part of in a way for the previous four years, so I already knew the playbook," Helms said. "I came in with my foot in the door already and knew what was going on. I had relationships with the coaches, especially with Coach Lankford being my tight end coach for my first two years in college."
Those existing relationships continued to grow as Helms began hearing from players already in Statesboro, including former Eagles Tyler Fromm.
"I talked to Tyler Fromm when I was getting recruited, too, and he had some really good things to say," Helms said. "Everybody made me feel good about the decision. As soon as I got here, this place felt like home."
Helms' first season in Statesboro, however, did not go according to plan.
In the 2025 season opener at Fresno State, Helms tore his labrum, ending his season after just one game.
For a player entering a new program and hoping to make an immediate impact, the injury timing could not have been worse.
"Obviously, an injury is never a good thing, and getting hurt in the first game of the year in a new place was tough," Helms said. "But being here in Statesboro and being around these people and this team helped me stay in good spirits. Even when I wasn't able to practice or be part of things on the field, I was still around these guys every day. We were laughing and joking around, and they kept me in a good place mentally. I would say the people in Statesboro and, most importantly, the people on this team helped me stay positive."
While the injury kept Helms off the field, it did not keep him from finding ways to contribute. Instead, his role within the tight end room evolved.
Without being able to physically participate in practice, he found himself taking on a different kind of responsibility, becoming someone younger players, like Henry Gregory and Aubrey Heath, could turn to.
"It allowed me to step up and lead in different ways," Helms said. "It gave me time to become more vocal and work on that side of leadership. I could be someone the younger guys could lean on. I would be out at practice helping them with scripts, making sure they were good with everything they needed to know that day and helping them get rolling."
Now healthy and back on the field, Helms has made an immediate impact, recording 203 receiving yards on 20 receptions and averaging 40.6 yards a game with two touchdowns.
The lessons learned have carried into his sixth season of college football, shaping an approach centered on controlling what he can and finding a way to help the team each day.
For Helms, the mindset is simple: focus on what he can control and find a way to contribute.
"It feels good, but at the end of the day, I just try to come out here and do my best every day," Helms said. "Whether it's practice, a game or anything else, I just try to give my best and do everything I can to help the team."
That mentality has been shaped by a career that has included multiple transitions and setbacks. Through it all, Helms said adversity has taught him more about the person he wants to become than anything else.
"The biggest thing in my career has been dealing with adversity and learning how to get through it," Helms said. "I've dealt with injuries and different situations, but I've always tried to keep a good mindset throughout it all. It's about finding different ways to get better in life, whether that's becoming a better man, a better leader or just a better person overall."
That perspective now extends beyond Helms himself. As one of the most experienced players in the Eagles' tight end room, he understands the responsibility that comes with being a veteran.
And as Georgia Southern prepares for a pivotal matchup against reigning Sun Belt Champions James Madison, Helms knows the Eagles will need more than just the players on the field.
"We need the fans," Helms said. "It's the Power Paulson, and we're going to bring everything we have this weekend. Having this place packed out would help us. Just hearing everybody here and feeling that energy makes a difference."
Players Mentioned
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