Keith Rivers and Terrell Thomas have been through a lot.

From their days at USC, the linebacker and cornerback together made their marks on the college ranks and were both drafted in 2008. Their professional careers diverged from there, but after four years, they're teammates once again and focused on making comebacks in 2012.

For Rivers, a season-ending injury last year added to a slate of setbacks, while Thomas continues to work his way back from a torn ACL. But in the meantime, Rivers joined his old friend in California for Thomas' fourth annual youth football camp and can't wait to start the defending Super Bowl champs' own training camp next month.

"It's exciting being with a team that is contending every year," Rivers said Saturday, according to NFL.com. "It's been a great experience (and) they have some great guys in the locker room. It's been a great experience thus far."

Traded from the Bengals, Rivers hopes to change his fortune of injuries in New York and shake any labels that may be applied to the former ninth-overall pick, who suffered a broken jaw his rookie season.

"I don't think it was a situation of being a 'bust.' It was a situation where I was injured a lot, and it was unfortunate injuries -- some things were out of my control," he said in the article. "It happens like that, and hopefully the injuries are gone and we can move forward from there.

"Hopefully I can come in there and contribute and do whatever they need me to do, whatever position at linebacker they need me to be," Rivers continued. "I've been working really hard this offseason to get out there and make the plays I need to on the field and stay healthy."

QUICK HITS>> Terrell Thomas, NFL stars show fundamentals to young players. [Kevin Patra, NFL Network]

Stellar pass rush a common theme among Super Bowl champs. [Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com]

VIDEO: Who has the best pass rush in the NFL? [NFL Network]

Giants summer questionnaire: LB Chase Blackburn. [Jorge Castillo, The Star-Ledger]