Born in Carroll, Iowa, Riesenberg moved to Moscow, Idaho, before his freshman year of high school. At Moscow High School, he was an all-state football player for the Bears on both offense and defense,[1] an all-state basketball player, and a three-time state champion in the discus.[2]
His father, Louis, a professor at the University of Idaho since 1979, was the chairman of the agricultural education department.[3][4]
After being heavily recruited by colleges from coast to coast, Riesenberg attended the University of California, Berkeley, to study electrical engineering and computer science. He played defense and moved to offense for his senior season in 1986 for the Golden Bears. He was selected in the sixth round of the 1987 NFL draft by the New York Giants.[5]