#17 Philip Rivers | QB
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Position: QB College: North Carolina State Height: 6-5 Weight: 228 Age: 26 Experience: 5th NFL Season Acquired: Trade - 2004 (New York Giants) Hometown: Athens, Alabama |
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Career StatsThere are two things that Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers has proven beyond the shadow of a doubt in his first two years as an NFL starter. One, he’s a winner. Two, he’s as tough as they come.
Since he became the Bolts’ starting signal caller prior to the 2006 season, Rivers’ 25 regular-season wins are tied with Indianapolis’ Peyton Manning for the second-most in the NFL, behind only New England’s Tom Brady’s 28. Rivers has posted an impressive 25-7 record as a starter, including an astounding mark of 15-1 at home. Rivers led the Chargers to the playoffs in each of his two seasons at the helm, and in 2007 his stellar play in January helped the Bolts pick up their first postseason victories in 13 seasons as they advanced all the way to the AFC Championship Game.
Rivers’ toughness, both mental and physical, was on full display in the postseason and the final weeks of the regular season last fall. In a Dec. 9 victory over Tennessee, Rivers had to leave the game after spraining his knee. He returned though in the second half and led the Chargers to a come-from-behind victory in overtime. Rivers continued to play and he played through the final month of the season in pain.
Another knee injury in the Bolts’ Divisional Playoff game also sent him to the sideline, but Rivers refused to let it end his season. His status for the AFC Championship Game was in the balance throughout the entire week leading up to the game, but Rivers toughed it out and played the entire game. It turns out that he had had an arthroscopic procedure done on the Monday following the Chargers’ playoff victory in Indianapolis, and after the loss in New England it was revealed that Rivers had played the AFC Championship Game with a torn ACL in his right knee. He suffered the injury while throwing a touchdown pass in the third quarter of the win over the Colts and gutted it out to play in the most important game of his young career. He’s spent the last few months aggressively rehabbing the knee and is confident he’ll be ready to go when the Bolts open the 2008 season.
Rivers’ commitment to the game and his leadership skills have endeared him to teammates and everyone in the organization. They love his confidence and fiery attitude on the field. Before last season’s playoffs began, the Chargers picked up the option on the final two years of his rookie contract to ensure the quarterback will be in lightning bolts through at least the 2009 season. When asked about the move, Chargers General Manager A.J. Smith simply said, “You know how I feel about Philip Rivers.” His words spoke volumes about his appreciation for the player and leader that Rivers has become.
In 2007, Rivers was sensational down the stretch when the Chargers needed him the most. During the Chargers’ eight-game winning streak that led up to the AFC Championship Game (including Wild Card and Divisional Playoff games), he completed 133 of 214 passes (62.1%) for 1,656 yards with 14 TDs and only five INTs for a rating of 98.2, nearly 16 points higher than his cumulative season rating (82.4).
Just about everywhere he’s played as a quarterback, Rivers has been a winner. Since his junior season at AthensHigh School in 1998, his first as a starting QB, Rivers has never had a losing record. He went 11-2 (1998) and 10-3 (1999) at Athens; 8-4 (2000), 7-5 (2001), 11-3 (2002) and 8-5 (2003) at North CarolinaState, and with the Chargers he’s posted seasons of 14-2 (2006) and 11-5 (2007). Rivers’ collegiate totals at N.C.State included a 3-1 mark in bowl games. He was a five-time MVP in bowl games, including the 2004 Senior Bowl.
Rivers patiently waited his turn through his first two seasons before finally getting his chance to play in 2006. When his turn came, Rivers blossomed into everything that he was billed to be coming out of college. He led the Chargers to a franchise-record 14 wins and earned a nod for the 2007 Pro Bowl. In spite of being in just his first season as a starter, Rivers played with the confidence and poise of a seasoned veteran. He completed nearly 62 percent of his passes, threw more than twice as many touchdowns as he did interceptions and posted a first-year passer rating that ranked right up there with some of the league’s greats. Only one other starting QB, St. Louis’ Marc Bulger, threw more TD passes and fewer interceptions.
The Chargers closed out the 2006 season by winning their last 10 games and finished undefeated at home for the first time in team history. Rivers helped the Bolts score a team-record 492 points, including a stretch during the season in which the Chargers capped off 19 consecutive scoring drives with touchdowns. The stretch set a new team record and was the fifth-longest in NFL history. In just two seasons as a starter, Rivers already ranks fifth in team history in touchdown passes (44), passing yards (6,688) and completions (578).
Rivers and his family now make their year-round home in San Diego. However, they frequently return to Decatur, Alabama, the city in which he grew up and worked as a water boy when his dad, Steve, was the head coach at DecaturHigh School. In February 2007 while Philip was back in Alabama to visit his folks, he picked up the local paper one day and read a Q&A with LawrenceCountyHigh School student Will Inman. One of the questions posed to Inman was about a famous person he’d like to meet. His answer was Rivers. After reading the story, Philip was so impressed that he decided to surprise the young man and he showed up unannounced on campus a couple of days later. It was a total surprise to all of the students on campus. Rivers spent time visiting with Inman and many of the school’s student athletes.
During another trip home this spring, Rivers took part in the grand opening of D1 Sports Training and Therapy, a brand-new training and rehabilitation center in Huntsville, Alabama that he co-owns with University of Tennessee Assistant Athletic Director Condredge Holloway. Holloway is well-known in the south as the first black quarterback in SEC history. D1 is a specialized facility that provides its clients with training at a level expected by athletes in NCAA Division I sports. While in Alabama, Rivers regularly visited the D1 facility to rehab his own knee.
Philip and his father have always been close. Steve was the best man in Philip’s wedding and he wears number 17 because it was the same number his dad wore in high school. In college, North CarolinaState retired that number before Philip’s final home game. Nearly every day after practice, Rivers calls home to speak with his family. Most of his conversations with his dad include a rehash of certain plays the Chargers ran that day.
Perhaps because of the special bond Philip shares with his dad, he has always had a special admiration for coaches. One of his favorites is former TexasTechUniversity basketball coach Bob Knight. During Philip’s junior season in 2002, the Wolfpack traveled to Lubbock, Texas to face the Red Raiders in an early season football game. While talking to reporters in the week leading up to the game, Rivers mentioned that he wanted to do two things that week, beat Texas Tech and meet Coach Knight. When Knight caught wind of the story, he made a special trip to greet Rivers and his teammates when they arrived in town for the game. The two spoke and Coach Knight gave Philip a Texas Tech basketball sweater that Rivers still wears to work. Rivers also won the game, leading the Wolfpack to a thrilling 51-48 overtime win over the Red Raiders.
Coincidentally, Rivers and Coach Knight had a chance to reunite in April 2007 when Philip was invited to throw out the first pitch before a San Diego Padres game at PetcoPark. Coach Knight happened to be at the game that night as a guest of the Padres and he and Philip spoke briefly before the game.
Rivers and his wife, Tiffany, were married after Philip’s freshman season at N.C.State. They met as kids in Alabama and now live in Poway with their three daughters, Halle, Caroline and Grace, and son, Philip “Gunner,” who was born in February. Both Philips spell their names with one “l” after the Biblical Apostle, Philip.
TRANSACTION HISTORY: Drafted in first-round (4) by New York Giants, April 24, 2004…traded to Chargers for Eli Manning, third-round choice in 2004, and first- and fifth-round choices in 2005, April 24, 2004…signed six-year contract, Aug. 24, 2004.
2007: Shared team’s Most Inspirational Player Award with Carlos Polk…recorded first 300-yard game of season with 306 yards and three TDs Week 3 at Lambeau Field…completed 75 percent of his passes (27 of 36) with touchdown passes to Vincent Jackson (27 yards), Buster Davis (9 yards) and LaDainian Tomlinson (21 yards)…completed first 15 passes of game to tie Dan Fouts’ team record for consecutive completions…16th pass was incompletion intentionally thrown away out of back of end zone…finished first half 16 of 17 for 159 yards and two touchdowns (144.9 rating)…helped rally Bolts from 17-7 deficit to take 21-17 in second half, lead but late fourth-quarter interception by Nick Barnett after Packers had taken 24-21 lead then led to touchdown two plays later that helped Packers seal victory…named AFC Offensive Player of Week and FedEx Air NFL Player of Week after posting career-best 151.4 passer rating Week 5 at Denver…Rivers was efficient, completing 13 of his 18 pass attempts (.722) for 270 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions…also helped beat Broncos with his legs, scoring San Diego’s first touchdown of game on two-yard run on naked bootleg, his first career rushing touchdown…three was magic number for Rivers in Broncos game…scored his rushing touchdown on third-and-one play…was four of five passing for 74 yards on third downs…and in third quarter, was perfect eight of eight passing for 160 yards and two touchdowns, en route to recording perfect passer rating of 158.3 in quarter…during third quarter second-and-33 play, hooked up with Vincent Jackson for 45 yards on perfectly executed seam route…Oct. 28 against Houston, threw first-quarter touchdown pass to Antonio Gates covering 49 yards for his first touchdown pass of season at Qualcomm Stadium and his first in home game since Dec. 31, 2006 vs. Arizona…finished afternoon completing seven of 11 for 130 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for passer rating of 143.9…touchdown passes covered 49 and 31 yards to Gates and 14 yards to Chris Chambers…at halftime, Rivers had completed six of eight for 128 yards and three TDs for 156.2 passer rating…posted second 300-yard game of season with 309 yards at Jacksonville Nov. 18…surpassed 300-yard mark with fourth-quarter 24-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates…matched career high with three TD passes Nov. 25 against Baltimore…threw strikes of 35 and 25 yards to Antonio Gates and five yards to Chris Chambers…received Game Ball in locker room from Head Coach Norv Turner following Ravens game…threw 38-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson in second quarter of Kansas City game Dec. 2…threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes Dec. 9 at Tennessee to engineer 14-point fourth-quarter comeback while leading Bolts to overtime victory…first touchdown pass covered seven yards to Tomlinson midway through fourth quarter and second to Gates (two yards) tied and sent game to overtime as he scored with nine seconds remaining in fourth quarter…game-tying touchdown pass was 14th play of 80-yard drive…completed 19-yard pass to Chambers on fourth-and-five play during game-tying TD drive and two plays later hit Chambers again for 28-yard gain…also on drive completed nine-yard pass to Tomlinson on third-and-five play…2-for-2 on game-winning TD drive in overtime, hitting Gates for 11 yards on third-and-four play and Vincent Jackson for 12 yards to set up Tomlinson’s winning TD run…
engineered comeback after having to leave game for most of third quarter with knee injury, but returned to open third quarter…lone touchdown pass Dec. 16 vs. Detroit covered one yard to Brandon Manumaleuna…passed for 189 yards against Denver Dec. 24 on ESPN Monday Night Football to raise his season total past 3,000 yards (3,017) for second 3,000-yard season in two years as starter…threw 14-yard touchdown pass to Chris Chambers on opening series of third quarter…came out of game following Chambers TD pass…threw touchdown passes of seven yards to Tomlinson and 19 yards to Chambers in 30-17 win at Oakland Dec. 30…opened game 4-of-4 for 33 yards and score on opening TD drive…went 5-for-6 for 71 yards on Chambers TD drive with lone incompletion being pass to Gates overturned by replay challenge…earned Game Ball in Locker Room from Head Coach Norv Turner after passing for 292 yards in AFC Wild Card Playoff win over Tennessee Jan. 6…25-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson in third quarter capped 78-yard drive to give Chargers’ first lead of game…went 4-of-4 for 55 yards and TD on drive and finished quarter 9-of-10 for 137 yards and touchdown (152.1 rating) to turn 6-0 deficit into 10-6 lead…opened third quarter with field goal drive, completing 19 yard pass to Chris Chambers on third-and-six play and 34-yarder to Jackson on third-and-nine play…during early fourth quarter drive that helped ice victory, completed nine-yard pass to Brandon Manumaleuna on third-and-six play and 39-yarder to Chambers on third-and-10 play…completed 19 of 30 for 292 yards with one touchdown and one interception for 92.6 passer rating vs. Titans…second-quarter interception ended string of 104 pass attempts without throwing one…started Jan. 13 Divisional Playoff win at Indianapolis but did not finish game, leaving contest on last play of third quarter after injuring knee while throwing screen pass to Darren Sproles that turned into 56-yard touchdown catch and run to put Bolts up 21-17…forced to give way to Billy Volek after completing 14 of 19 for 264 yards with three touchdowns in three quarters of work…still set career playoff highs for TD passes (three), completion percentage (.737) and passer rating (133.2)…besides TD to Sproles, threw second quarter touchdown to Vincent Jackson (14 yards) and 30-yarder to Chris Chambers on first drive of third quarter…made several big third down throws during Colts game…completed touchdown pass to Jackson on third-and-eight play, while during same drive, completed nine-yarder to Jackson on third-and-five play and 18-yarder to Chambers on third-and-eight…he also got Chargers out of huge hole on third-down play late in third quarter, hitting Chambers again, this time for 22 yards on third-and-14 play that kept drive alive and led to Sproles’ TD on screen…turned in one of most heroic performances in NFL Playoff history, starting and playing entire AFC Championship Game Jan. 20 at New England with torn ACL in right knee…passed for 211 yards, but was unable to get Bolts into end zone as Patriots won, 21-12.
2006: Selected to play in 2007 Pro Bowl...recipient of Rodney Culver Memorial Award as Chargers Offensive Player of Year in voting by teammates...led NFL in fourth quarter passer rating (116.6), going 58 of 88 for 798 yards with seven TDs and one INT...NFL’s second-highest-rated passer in second half of games (99.3), going 123 or 203 for 1,616 yards with 12 scores and three picks...made his first career start Sept. 11 at Oakland and earned first career victory in 27-0 win...completed 73 percent of passes (8 of 11) and finished game with 133.0 passer rating...threw four-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates for 20-0 lead in fourth quarter...two plays before Gates’ touchdown, completed game-long 38-yard pass to Eric Parker on third-and-seven play while being hit by Warren Sapp right as he released ball...since 1995, was second-highest completion percentage and third-highest passer rating for NFL quarterback making first career start in season opener....Chargers Alumni Player of Week after 40-7 win over Tennessee Sept. 17...threw 12-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson on third-and-eight play in fourth quarter...completed 71 percent of passes against Titans, going 25 of 35...during first-quarter touchdown drive that gave Bolts 10-0 lead, Rivers completed 25-yard pass to Eric Parker on third-and-nine play and later in drive set up touchdown with two-yard leap over pile on fourth-and-one play from six-yard line...threw 31-yard touchdown pass to Malcom Floyd in first quarter at Baltimore Oct. 1...featured on Sports Illustrated’s “Who’s Hot” list after leading Bolts to 23-13 win over defending Super Bowl Champion Steelers Oct. 8...threw nine-yard touchdown pass to Malcom Floyd on third-and-two play to erase 10-0 deficit in second quarter and 22-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates in third quarter to give Bolts lead at 17-13...during Floyd touchdown drive, completed 10-yard pass to Keenan McCardell on third-and-five play and 22-yard pass to Gates on third-and-11 play...during Gates touchdown drive, completed 16 and 25-yard passes to Eric Parker on successive third-and-seven plays...helped seal victory over Steelers with 15-yard run on third-and-nine play late in fourth quarter as drive ended with field goal that gave Chargers 23-13 lead in final minutes of game...finished Steelers game with career-high 37 pass attempts...AFC Offensive Player of Week and FedEx Air NFL Player of Week after recording first-career 300-yard game with 334 yards and pair of touchdowns at San Francisco Oct. 15...completed 29-of-39 without any interceptions for passer rating of 116.8...had stretch of 13 straight completions in first half, equaling third-longest stretch in team history...during completion streak, racked up 195 yards through air and two scores, including 57-yard catch-and-run by Antonio Gates and 33-yard bomb to end zone to Vincent Jackson...completed 14 of his first 15 passes of game, with lone incompletion being intentionally thrown away...led four scoring drives in game during which he did not throw single incompletion, including three touchdown drives and one field goal drive...was even better on third downs against S.F., completing 9-of-10 for 142 yards and touchdown...he converted 7-of-10 for first downs and added two first downs rushing on third-and-one plays...after throwing interception that led to touchdown and losing fumble that led to another in the first half, Rivers bounced back in second half and completed 8-of-12 for 104 yards and two touchdowns (133.3 second-half passer rating) Oct. 22 at Kansas City...rallied squad from a 20-6 halftime deficit with touchdown passes of one yard to Gates on third-and-goal from one in third quarter and 37 yards to Tomlinson on fourth-and-three early in fourth quarter...posted third game this season with passer rating over 100 in Oct. 29 win over St. Louis...was efficient 15-of-23 for 206 yards and touchdown for rating of 108.2...helped Bolts jump out to 14-7 lead in first half by completing 10-of-14 for 121 yards and 97.6 rating...of his four incompletions in first half, one was intentional throw-away...hit on his first four passes of game for 70 yards, including 3-of-3 for 54 yards during game-opening touchdown drive...sensational on third downs against Rams, completing 6-of-9 for 101 yards and a touchdown (141.1 rating)...threw lone touchdown pass, good for 25 yards to LT on third-and-eight play in fourth quarter, to give Bolts 38-17 lead to seal victory...did not throw touchdown pass for first time of season in 32-25 win over Cleveland Nov. 5...NBC Football Night in America’s Player of Day and SportsIllustrated.com Offensive Player of Week after passing for 337 yards and three touchdowns as he helped lead Chargers to improbable 49-41 come-from behind victory over Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on Nov. 12...helped Chargers overcome first-half deficits of 21-0 and 28-7 as Bolts scored team-record 42 points in second half...threw all three of his touchdown passes in second half, including throws of 46 yards to Malcom Floyd and 9 and 5 yards to Brandon Manumaleuna...completed 19-of-25 for 291 yards and three scores after Bolts fell behind 21-0 and three of incompletions were intentional throwaways...completed passes to eight different receivers...led drives of 59, 69, 46, 80, 40, nine and 72 yards during comeback and team scored touchdowns on all six possessions inside 20-yard line...his last touchdown drive of game was possibly his most impressive as he engineered 12-play, 72-drive that ate up 5:19 on clock as Chargers held slight 42-41 lead and he capped it with five-yard touchdown pass to Manumaleuna on third-and-goal to stretch Bolts’ lead to 49-41...completed 4-of-7 for 52 yards on that drive, including 12-yard pass to Malcom Floyd on third-and-nine, 27-yard pass to Antonio Gates on third-and-eight, and touchdown pass on third down...finished Cincinnati game with passer rating of 124.4, second-highest of season (Oakland, 133.9)...went 9-or-11 for 113 yards and touchdown on third-down plays against Bengals, including 8-of-8 for 93 yards and touchdown (154.7 rating) in second half...seven of those eight second-half third-down passes went for first downs...was second 300-yard game of season...did not throw any interceptions in 36 pass attempts against Cincinnati, extending streak to three straight games (15 quarters) and 122 consecutive passes without throwing interception, longest active streak in NFL...completed 73 percent of his passes (19-of-26) in 35-27 come-from-behind win in Denver Nov. 19...led Chargers from 17-point deficit (24-7) becoming first ever QB to lead team from at least 17 point deficit in consecutive weeks...showed a lot of resiliency against Broncos, battling back after throwing interception that was returned 31 yards for touchdown to give Denver 24-7 lead...on very next series after INT, led seven-play, 60-yard touchdown drive during which he completed all four of his pass attempts for 54 yards...completed comeback by throwing 51-yard touchdown pass to Tomlinson on third-and-three play and then gave Chargers lead when he completed 4 of 4 for 37 yards, including five-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson...completed 11 of 13 for 148 yards and two touchdowns on three scoring drives after interception...early in game, Chargers jumped out to 7-0 lead on 99-yard drive in which Rivers completed 5-of-5 for 59 yards...was Bolts’ longest drive since Nov. 25, 2001...Rivers fourth pass of game was intercepted by Broncos Nick Ferguson, ending streak of 125 consecutive passes thrown without interception...at time, was longest active streak in NFL...was first interception since Oct. 22 game at Kansas City...led Chargers on three touchdown drives against Oakland Nov. 26, marking 19-straight scoring drives that ended in touchdowns to set new team record...previous mark was 17 in 1981...threw 11-yard touchdown pass to Gates in Dec. 3 win at Buffalo...engineered season-long 8:06 drive late in fourth quarter to seal victory as team traveled 80 yards in 13 plays for touchdown and 24-14 lead over Bills...completed 4-of-4 for 47 yards on drive...racked up season-high 136.0 passer rating against Denver Dec. 10 after completing 15-of-23 for 279 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions...posted a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in first half after going 11-of-13 for 180 yards and two touchdowns...after throwing incompletion on second pass attempt of game, he proceeded to complete his next eight passes for 133 yards and touchdown...threw 12-yard TD pass to Gates in first quarter and seven yarder to Gates in second quarter...Rivers didn’t have many completions in Dec. 24 game at Seattle (10-of-30), but he made them count...lone completion in first half was good for nine-yard touchdown to Vincent Jackson...late in fourth quarter, he delivered picture-perfect 37-yard game-winning touchdown pass to Jackson with 29 seconds left...closed out season by completing career-high 79.2 percent (19-of-24) vs. Arizona Dec. 31...posted 117.2 passer rating against Cardinals, fourth-highest of season and second-highest at home...Rivers was at his best during two second-quarter touchdown drives when he went 9-for-10 for 135 yards and two scores for perfect 158.3 passer rating...threw TD passes of 33 yards to Antonio Gates and 14 yards to Vincent Jackson...despite playing with foot sprain, finished first half against Arizona 17-of-20 for 196 yards and two TDs for 120.0 rating...connected with LT for 58-yard screen pass to set up second quarter touchdown in Jan. 14 playoff game against New England...did not play in 2007 Pro Bowl while recovering from foot injury.
2005: Did not play Weeks 1-9 & 11-15…took knee on final snap of game versus Buffalo Nov. 20…took over for injured Drew Brees in second quarter of Dec. 31 season finale against Denver…led team on 10-play, 69-yard touchdown drive on first series, completing three of six for 39 yards. 2004: Inactive as third quarterback Weeks 1-3 and 14-15…did not play Weeks 4-8 and 10-13 as number two quarterback…saw action at end of New Orleans game Nov. 7 but did not attempt any passes…played second half against Kansas City Jan. 2 and threw first-career touchdown pass to Malcom Floyd… inactive as third quarterback for Wild Card Playoff game against New York.
COLLEGE: NCAA’s second all-time leading passer with 13,484 yards…MVP of five bowl games, including 2004 Senior Bowl…holds every major school passing record at N.C. State…seventh in Heisman Trophy voting as senior…34-17 record as starter among NCAA-record 51 career starts…second in NCAA history with 13,582 total yards…tied for fifth in NCAA history with 95 touchdown passes…set school and Atlantic Coast Conference career records for passing attempts (1,710), completions (1,147), touchdowns responsible for (112), 300-yard passing games (18) and 400-yard passing games (7) …seventh quarterback in NCAA history and first in ACC history with three 3,000-yard seasons…second-team All-America by NFL Draft Report as senior…2003 ACC Player of Year and first-team All-ACC after leading NCAA in completion percentage (.720) and passer rating (170.5)…ranked second nationally in passing yards (4,491) and total offense per game (353.9)…MVP of 2003 Tangerine Bowl after career-high 475 yards and school-record-tying five touchdowns in 56-26 win over Kansas…second-team All-ACC as junior…received “Award of Distinction” from Columbus Touchdown Club…co-recipient of Governor’s Award as team MVP …MVP of 2002 Gator Bowl win over Notre Dame…CNN/Sports Illustrated National Player of Week after five-touchdown game against Navy in junior year…honorable mention all-conference as sophomore and MVP of Citrus Bowl…ACC Rookie of Year and Academic All-ACC choice in 2000… Newcomer of Year by ABC Sports and Freshman of Year by Football News and Columbus Touchdown Club…MVP of 2000 Micron PC Bowl…ACC Player of Week once, ACC Offensive Back of Week twice and league-record ACC Rookie of Week eight times during career…played at N.C. State from 2000-03…graduated with degree in business.
PERSONAL: Born in Decatur, Alabama… Alabama Player of Year as senior at Athens High School…father Steve was his high school head coach.
TRANSACTION HISTORY: Drafted in first-round (4) by New York Giants, April 24, 2004…traded to Chargers for Eli Manning, third-round choice in 2004, and first- and fifth-round choices in 2005, April 24, 2004…signed six-year contract, Aug. 24, 2004.
2007: Shared team’s Most Inspirational Player Award with Carlos Polk…recorded first 300-yard game of season with 306 yards and three TDs Week 3 at Lambeau Field…completed 75 percent of his passes (27 of 36) with touchdown passes to Vincent Jackson (27 yards), Buster Davis (9 yards) and LaDainian Tomlinson (21 yards)…completed first 15 passes of game to tie Dan Fouts’ team record for consecutive completions…16th pass was incompletion intentionally thrown away out of back of end zone…finished first half 16 of 17 for 159 yards and two touchdowns (144.9 rating)…helped rally Bolts from 17-7 deficit to take 21-17 in second half, lead but late fourth-quarter interception by Nick Barnett after Packers had taken 24-21 lead then led to touchdown two plays later that helped Packers seal victory…named AFC Offensive Player of Week and FedEx Air NFL Player of Week after posting career-best 151.4 passer rating Week 5 at Denver…Rivers was efficient, completing 13 of his 18 pass attempts (.722) for 270 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions…also helped beat Broncos with his legs, scoring San Diego’s first touchdown of game on two-yard run on naked bootleg, his first career rushing touchdown…three was magic number for Rivers in Broncos game…scored his rushing touchdown on third-and-one play…was four of five passing for 74 yards on third downs…and in third quarter, was perfect eight of eight passing for 160 yards and two touchdowns, en route to recording perfect passer rating of 158.3 in quarter…during third quarter second-and-33 play, hooked up with Vincent Jackson for 45 yards on perfectly executed seam route…Oct. 28 against Houston, threw first-quarter touchdown pass to Antonio Gates covering 49 yards for his first touchdown pass of season at Qualcomm Stadium and his first in home game since Dec. 31, 2006 vs. Arizona…finished afternoon completing seven of 11 for 130 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for passer rating of 143.9…touchdown passes covered 49 and 31 yards to Gates and 14 yards to Chris Chambers…at halftime, Rivers had completed six of eight for 128 yards and three TDs for 156.2 passer rating…posted second 300-yard game of season with 309 yards at Jacksonville Nov. 18…surpassed 300-yard mark with fourth-quarter 24-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates…matched career high with three TD passes Nov. 25 against Baltimore…threw strikes of 35 and 25 yards to Antonio Gates and five yards to Chris Chambers…received Game Ball in locker room from Head Coach Norv Turner following Ravens game…threw 38-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson in second quarter of Kansas City game Dec. 2…threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes Dec. 9 at Tennessee to engineer 14-point fourth-quarter comeback while leading Bolts to overtime victory…first touchdown pass covered seven yards to Tomlinson midway through fourth quarter and second to Gates (two yards) tied and sent game to overtime as he scored with nine seconds remaining in fourth quarter…game-tying touchdown pass was 14th play of 80-yard drive…completed 19-yard pass to Chambers on fourth-and-five play during game-tying TD drive and two plays later hit Chambers again for 28-yard gain…also on drive completed nine-yard pass to Tomlinson on third-and-five play…2-for-2 on game-winning TD drive in overtime, hitting Gates for 11 yards on third-and-four play and Vincent Jackson for 12 yards to set up Tomlinson’s winning TD run…engineered comeback after having to leave game for most of third quarter with knee injury, but returned to open third quarter…lone touchdown pass Dec. 16 vs. Detroit covered one yard to Brandon Manumaleuna…passed for 189 yards against Denver Dec. 24 on ESPN Monday Night Football to raise his season total past 3,000 yards (3,017) for second 3,000-yard season in two years as starter…threw 14-yard touchdown pass to Chris Chambers on opening series of third quarter…came out of game following Chambers TD pass…threw touchdown passes of seven yards to Tomlinson and 19 yards to Chambers in 30-17 win at Oakland Dec. 30…opened game 4-of-4 for 33 yards and score on opening TD drive…went 5-for-6 for 71 yards on Chambers TD drive with lone incompletion being pass to Gates overturned by replay challenge…earned Game Ball in Locker Room from Head Coach Norv Turner after passing for 292 yards in AFC Wild Card Playoff win over Tennessee Jan. 6…25-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson in third quarter capped 78-yard drive to give Chargers’ first lead of game…went 4-of-4 for 55 yards and TD on drive and finished quarter 9-of-10 for 137 yards and touchdown (152.1 rating) to turn 6-0 deficit into 10-6 lead…opened third quarter with field goal drive, completing 19 yard pass to Chris Chambers on third-and-six play and 34-yarder to Jackson on third-and-nine play…during early fourth quarter drive that helped ice victory, completed nine-yard pass to Brandon Manumaleuna on third-and-six play and 39-yarder to Chambers on third-and-10 play…completed 19 of 30 for 292 yards with one touchdown and one interception for 92.6 passer rating vs. Titans…second-quarter interception ended string of 104 pass attempts without throwing one…started Jan. 13 Divisional Playoff win at Indianapolis but did not finish game, leaving contest on last play of third quarter after injuring knee while throwing screen pass to Darren Sproles that turned into 56-yard touchdown catch and run to put Bolts up 21-17…forced to give way to Billy Volek after completing 14 of 19 for 264 yards with three touchdowns in three quarters of work…still set career playoff highs for TD passes (three), completion percentage (.737) and passer rating (133.2)…besides TD to Sproles, threw second quarter touchdown to Vincent Jackson (14 yards) and 30-yarder to Chris Chambers on first drive of third quarter…made several big third down throws during Colts game…completed touchdown pass to Jackson on third-and-eight play, while during same drive, completed nine-yarder to Jackson on third-and-five play and 18-yarder to Chambers on third-and-eight…he also got Chargers out of huge hole on third-down play late in third quarter, hitting Chambers again, this time for 22 yards on third-and-14 play that kept drive alive and led to Sproles’ TD on screen…turned in one of most heroic performances in NFL Playoff history, starting and playing entire AFC Championship Game Jan. 20 at New England with torn ACL in right knee…passed for 211 yards, but was unable to get Bolts into end zone as Patriots won, 21-12.2006: Selected to play in 2007 Pro Bowl...recipient of Rodney Culver Memorial Award as Chargers Offensive Player of Year in voting by teammates...led NFL in fourth quarter passer rating (116.6), going 58 of 88 for 798 yards with seven TDs and one INT...NFL’s second-highest-rated passer in second half of games (99.3), going 123 or 203 for 1,616 yards with 12 scores and three picks...made his first career start Sept. 11 at Oakland and earned first career victory in 27-0 win...completed 73 percent of passes (8 of 11) and finished game with 133.0 passer rating...threw four-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates for 20-0 lead in fourth quarter...two plays before Gates’ touchdown, completed game-long 38-yard pass to Eric Parker on third-and-seven play while being hit by Warren Sapp right as he released ball...since 1995, was second-highest completion percentage and third-highest passer rating for NFL quarterback making first career start in season opener....Chargers Alumni Player of Week after 40-7 win over Tennessee Sept. 17...threw 12-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson on third-and-eight play in fourth quarter...completed 71 percent of passes against Titans, going 25 of 35...during first-quarter touchdown drive that gave Bolts 10-0 lead, Rivers completed 25-yard pass to Eric Parker on third-and-nine play and later in drive set up touchdown with two-yard leap over pile on fourth-and-one play from six-yard line...threw 31-yard touchdown pass to Malcom Floyd in first quarter at Baltimore Oct. 1...featured on Sports Illustrated’s “Who’s Hot” list after leading Bolts to 23-13 win over defending Super Bowl Champion Steelers Oct. 8...threw nine-yard touchdown pass to Malcom Floyd on third-and-two play to erase 10-0 deficit in second quarter and 22-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Gates in third quarter to give Bolts lead at 17-13...during Floyd touchdown drive, completed 10-yard pass to Keenan McCardell on third-and-five play and 22-yard pass to Gates on third-and-11 play...during Gates touchdown drive, completed 16 and 25-yard passes to Eric Parker on successive third-and-seven plays...helped seal victory over Steelers with 15-yard run on third-and-nine play late in fourth quarter as drive ended with field goal that gave Chargers 23-13 lead in final minutes of game...finished Steelers game with career-high 37 pass attempts...AFC Offensive Player of Week and FedEx Air NFL Player of Week after recording first-career 300-yard game with 334 yards and pair of touchdowns at San Francisco Oct. 15...completed 29-of-39 without any interceptions for passer rating of 116.8...had stretch of 13 straight completions in first half, equaling third-longest stretch in team history...during completion streak, racked up 195 yards through air and two scores, including 57-yard catch-and-run by Antonio Gates and 33-yard bomb to end zone to Vincent Jackson...completed 14 of his first 15 passes of game, with lone incompletion being intentionally thrown away...led four scoring drives in game during which he did not throw single incompletion, including three touchdown drives and one field goal drive...was even better on third downs against S.F., completing 9-of-10 for 142 yards and touchdown...he converted 7-of-10 for first downs and added two first downs rushing on third-and-one plays...after throwing interception that led to touchdown and losing fumble that led to another in the first half, Rivers bounced back in second half and completed 8-of-12 for 104 yards and two touchdowns (133.3 second-half passer rating) Oct. 22 at Kansas City...rallied squad from a 20-6 halftime deficit with touchdown passes of one yard to Gates on third-and-goal from one in third quarter and 37 yards to Tomlinson on fourth-and-three early in fourth quarter...posted third game this season with passer rating over 100 in Oct. 29 win over St. Louis...was efficient 15-of-23 for 206 yards and touchdown for rating of 108.2...helped Bolts jump out to 14-7 lead in first half by completing 10-of-14 for 121 yards and 97.6 rating...of his four incompletions in first half, one was intentional throw-away...hit on his first four passes of game for 70 yards, including 3-of-3 for 54 yards during game-opening touchdown drive...sensational on third downs against Rams, completing 6-of-9 for 101 yards and a touchdown (141.1 rating)...threw lone touchdown pass, good for 25 yards to LT on third-and-eight play in fourth quarter, to give Bolts 38-17 lead to seal victory...did not throw touchdown pass for first time of season in 32-25 win over Cleveland Nov. 5...NBC Football Night in America’s Player of Day and SportsIllustrated.com Offensive Player of Week after passing for 337 yards and three touchdowns as he helped lead Chargers to improbable 49-41 come-from behind victory over Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on Nov. 12...helped Chargers overcome first-half deficits of 21-0 and 28-7 as Bolts scored team-record 42 points in second half...threw all three of his touchdown passes in second half, including throws of 46 yards to Malcom Floyd and 9 and 5 yards to Brandon Manumaleuna...completed 19-of-25 for 291 yards and three scores after Bolts fell behind 21-0 and three of incompletions were intentional throwaways...completed passes to eight different receivers...led drives of 59, 69, 46, 80, 40, nine and 72 yards during comeback and team scored touchdowns on all six possessions inside 20-yard line...his last touchdown drive of game was possibly his most impressive as he engineered 12-play, 72-drive that ate up 5:19 on clock as Chargers held slight 42-41 lead and he capped it with five-yard touchdown pass to Manumaleuna on third-and-goal to stretch Bolts’ lead to 49-41...completed 4-of-7 for 52 yards on that drive, including 12-yard pass to Malcom Floyd on third-and-nine, 27-yard pass to Antonio Gates on third-and-eight, and touchdown pass on third down...finished Cincinnati game with passer rating of 124.4, second-highest of season (Oakland, 133.9)...went 9-or-11 for 113 yards and touchdown on third-down plays against Bengals, including 8-of-8 for 93 yards and touchdown (154.7 rating) in second half...seven of those eight second-half third-down passes went for first downs...was second 300-yard game of season...did not throw any interceptions in 36 pass attempts against Cincinnati, extending streak to three straight games (15 quarters) and 122 consecutive passes without throwing interception, longest active streak in NFL...completed 73 percent of his passes (19-of-26) in 35-27 come-from-behind win in Denver Nov. 19...led Chargers from 17-point deficit (24-7) becoming first ever QB to lead team from at least 17 point deficit in consecutive weeks...showed a lot of resiliency against Broncos, battling back after throwing interception that was returned 31 yards for touchdown to give Denver 24-7 lead...on very next series after INT, led seven-play, 60-yard touchdown drive during which he completed all four of his pass attempts for 54 yards...completed comeback by throwing 51-yard touchdown pass to Tomlinson on third-and-three play and then gave Chargers lead when he completed 4 of 4 for 37 yards, including five-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson...completed 11 of 13 for 148 yards and two touchdowns on three scoring drives after interception...early in game, Chargers jumped out to 7-0 lead on 99-yard drive in which Rivers completed 5-of-5 for 59 yards...was Bolts’ longest drive since Nov. 25, 2001...Rivers fourth pass of game was intercepted by Broncos Nick Ferguson, ending streak of 125 consecutive passes thrown without interception...at time, was longest active streak in NFL...was first interception since Oct. 22 game at Kansas City...led Chargers on three touchdown drives against Oakland Nov. 26, marking 19-straight scoring drives that ended in touchdowns to set new team record...previous mark was 17 in 1981...threw 11-yard touchdown pass to Gates in Dec. 3 win at Buffalo...engineered season-long 8:06 drive late in fourth quarter to seal victory as team traveled 80 yards in 13 plays for touchdown and 24-14 lead over Bills...completed 4-of-4 for 47 yards on drive...racked up season-high 136.0 passer rating against Denver Dec. 10 after completing 15-of-23 for 279 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions...posted a perfect passer rating of 158.3 in first half after going 11-of-13 for 180 yards and two touchdowns...after throwing incompletion on second pass attempt of game, he proceeded to complete his next eight passes for 133 yards and touchdown...threw 12-yard TD pass to Gates in first quarter and seven yarder to Gates in second quarter...Rivers didn’t have many completions in Dec. 24 game at Seattle (10-of-30), but he made them count...lone completion in first half was good for nine-yard touchdown to Vincent Jackson...late in fourth quarter, he delivered picture-perfect 37-yard game-winning touchdown pass to Jackson with 29 seconds left...closed out season by completing career-high 79.2 percent (19-of-24) vs. Arizona Dec. 31...posted 117.2 passer rating against Cardinals, fourth-highest of season and second-highest at home...Rivers was at his best during two second-quarter touchdown drives when he went 9-for-10 for 135 yards and two scores for perfect 158.3 passer rating...threw TD passes of 33 yards to Antonio Gates and 14 yards to Vincent Jackson...despite playing with foot sprain, finished first half against Arizona 17-of-20 for 196 yards and two TDs for 120.0 rating...connected with LT for 58-yard screen pass to set up second quarter touchdown in Jan. 14 playoff game against New England...did not play in 2007 Pro Bowl while recovering from foot injury.
2005: Did not play Weeks 1-9 & 11-15…took knee on final snap of game versus Buffalo Nov. 20…took over for injured Drew Brees in second quarter of Dec. 31 season finale against Denver…led team on 10-play, 69-yard touchdown drive on first series, completing three of six for 39 yards. 2004: Inactive as third quarterback Weeks 1-3 and 14-15…did not play Weeks 4-8 and 10-13 as number two quarterback…saw action at end of New Orleans game Nov. 7 but did not attempt any passes…played second half against Kansas City Jan. 2 and threw first-career touchdown pass to Malcom Floyd… inactive as third quarterback for Wild Card Playoff game against New York.
COLLEGE: NCAA’s second all-time leading passer with 13,484 yards…MVP of five bowl games, including 2004 Senior Bowl…holds every major school passing record at N.C. State…seventh in Heisman Trophy voting as senior…34-17 record as starter among NCAA-record 51 career starts…second in NCAA history with 13,582 total yards…tied for fifth in NCAA history with 95 touchdown passes…set school and Atlantic Coast Conference career records for passing attempts (1,710), completions (1,147), touchdowns responsible for (112), 300-yard passing games (18) and 400-yard passing games (7) …seventh quarterback in NCAA history and first in ACC history with three 3,000-yard seasons…second-team All-America by NFL Draft Report as senior…2003 ACC Player of Year and first-team All-ACC after leading NCAA in completion percentage (.720) and passer rating (170.5)…ranked second nationally in passing yards (4,491) and total offense per game (353.9)…MVP of 2003 Tangerine Bowl after career-high 475 yards and school-record-tying five touchdowns in 56-26 win over Kansas…second-team All-ACC as junior…received “Award of Distinction” from Columbus Touchdown Club…co-recipient of Governor’s Award as team MVP …MVP of 2002 Gator Bowl win over Notre Dame…CNN/Sports Illustrated National Player of Week after five-touchdown game against Navy in junior year…honorable mention all-conference as sophomore and MVP of Citrus Bowl…ACC Rookie of Year and Academic All-ACC choice in 2000… Newcomer of Year by ABC Sports and Freshman of Year by Football News and Columbus Touchdown Club…MVP of 2000 Micron PC Bowl…ACC Player of Week once, ACC Offensive Back of Week twice and league-record ACC Rookie of Week eight times during career…played at N.C. State from 2000-03…graduated with degree in business.
PERSONAL: Born in Decatur, Alabama… Alabama Player of Year as senior at Athens High School…father Steve was his high school head coach.
