Players

Philip Rivers has become the unquestioned leader of the San Diego Chargers. One of the first to arrive at Chargers Park each day, and last to leave, Rivers is one of the team’s most popular players and a reigning three-time team MVP, as voted by his teammates. Charismatic both on and off the field, Rivers can usually be found exchanging friendly banter with locker room neighbor Antonio Gates or engaged in a game of dominoes with fellow signal-caller, Billy Volek.

Ranked as the NFL’s 26th best player in a recent poll conducted among his peers, Rivers had an all-star season in 2010, one that ended with him finally getting to play in the Pro Bowl. A three-time all-star selection, Rivers missed the previous two opportunities due to injury and the birth of his son, but he finally made it to Hawaii and played in this year’s game.

Rivers’ 2010 numbers were astounding. With a cast that included a team-record 17 different pass catchers, he threw for an NFL-leading 4,710 yards, 10th-most for a single season in NFL history. On pace for 5,000 yards much of the year, Rivers’ eventual total was third-highest in franchise annals. And he set a new career high with six 300- yard games, including a team-record 455 in the Chargers’ Sept. 26 game at Seattle. The 4,000-yard season was Rivers’ third-straight, tying Fouts for the most-consecutive 4,000-yard seasons in team history. By the midpoint of the ’10 season, Rivers managed to throw for 2,649 yards, a new NFL record for the first eight games of the season, another mark which Fouts (2,580) had previously set (1982). Included among his yardage totals, Rivers completed an NFL-leading 66 passes of at least 20 yards, while 12 of those went for touchdowns, second-most in the NFL.

Speaking of touchdowns, Rivers again found the end zone with regularity in 2010, tossing 30 touchdown passes and becoming the first quarterback in team history to throw more than 25 in three-straight seasons. It included a team-record stretch of 23 straight games with a touchdown pass, surpassing the previous mark of 20-straight set by Fouts in 1979-80. Among that streak was a pair of four- TD efforts in consecutive games at Houston and against Denver, equaling a feat that only Fouts (1985) and Drew Brees (2004) both accomplished for the Chargers. Eleven different players caught touchdown passes from Rivers in 2010, most in team history for a non-strike season.

The Chargers’ all-time leader for career completion percentage (.637) and passer rating (97.2), Rivers will embark on 2011 with the second-highest rating in NFL history, behind only Aaron Rodgers (98.4) of the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers. He’ll also enter 2011 just 339 yards shy of 20,000 for his career. Rivers ranked second in the NFL in passer rating in 2010 (101.8) and is the only quarterback in the league to post a season passer rating over 100 each of the last three seasons. In fact the only passers to ever post a rating of 100.0-or-higher for three straight years are Steve Young and Peyton Manning. Rivers’ outstanding rating in 2010 was aided by a team-record single-season completion percentage (.660). His 2010 rating was also aided by the fact that Rivers throws few interceptions. He owns the NFL’s longest streak of regular-season games started without throwing three-or-more interceptions (82) at the start of a career. To compare, the previous record of 57 was established by Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana.

Late in the season is when Rivers has typically been at his best. He owns a 99.0 career passer rating in December, which is second in NFL history, and based on 5,220 passing yards and a 40-to-14 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Since becoming a starter in 2006, Rivers owns the NFL’s third-highest passer rating (98.9) in Weeks 9-16 of the regular season, and as a starter, he is 37-7 (.841) in regularseason games played in November, December and January, including 22-2 in games in December and January.

Overall, Rivers has led the Chargers to four AFC West titles. He’s 58-29 (.667) as a starter (including playoffs), 23-7 in AFC West games and 34-10 (.773) at Qualcomm Stadium.

Rivers originally came to the Chargers in 2004 in a blockbuster trade with the New York Giants. Less than an hour after the Bolts selected Eli Manning with the No. 1 pick in the ’04 NFL Draft, Manning was on his way to the Big Apple in exchange for Rivers and a slew of draft picks. Rivers spent the majority of his first two years on the sidelines behind Brees, taking the reigns in 2006. That ’06 season was memorable as Rivers was voted to the Pro Bowl after leading the Chargers to a team-record 14 wins, including 10-straight to close out the season. The Chargers also finished undefeated at home for the first time in team history. The ’06 squad scored a team-record 492 points and Rivers achieved some notable marks along the way. He became the first NFL quarterback to rally a team from 17- point deficits in consecutive weeks, doing so on the road in Cincinnati and Denver. During the two wins, Rivers was in the midst of a streak of 19-straight scoring drives that ended in touchdowns without settling for a field goal. That too was a team record and it was the fifth-longest streak in NFL history. Rivers finished the year as the NFL leader in passer rating during the fourth quarter (116.6) and the third and fourth quarters combined (99.3).

In 2007, Rivers led the Chargers to the AFC Championship Game. Including playoffs, the team put together an eight-game winning streak down the stretch during which Rivers completed 133 of 214 (62.1%) for 1,656 yards with 14 touchdowns and only five interceptions for a rating of 98.2, nearly 16 points higher than his cumulative season rating (82.4). Rivers’ toughness, both mental and physical, was put on full display in the final weeks of the regular season and the playoffs. In a December victory at Tennessee, he had to leave the game after spraining his knee in the first half, but he returned in the second half and led the Chargers to a come-from-behind victory in overtime. He continued to play and fought through the final month of the season in severe pain. Then a different knee injury sent him to the sideline in the Bolts’ Divisional Playoff game in Indianapolis. After backup Billy Volek led the Chargers to an improbable win over the Colts, Rivers had arthroscopic surgery to repair a torn ACL on Monday and just six days later he started and took every snap on a frigid day in the AFC Championship Game at New England.

In 2008, Rivers topped Fouts’ team record for single-season touchdown passes and recorded his first 4,000-yard season. He set a team record and led the league with a season rating of 105.5, joining Brees as the only Chargers QBs to finish a season with a rating over 100.0. Cool under pressure, Rivers was the NFL’s second-leading passer on third downs (110.7) and in the fourth quarter (111.7). He threw an NFL-best 15 touchdown passes on third down and led the Chargers to an NFL-high 152 points in the fourth quarter. He logged six 300-yard games in ’08, the most since Fouts had seven in 1985. Rivers even did it in back-to-back games, something not done by a Chargers quarterback since 1991. And he capped off 2008 with a sensational December, leading the Chargers to the playoffs. He went 4-0 to improve his career record in December to 14-0 and completed 80-of-121 (66.1%) for 1,054 yards with 11 touchdowns and just one interception. His passer rating for the month, a lofty 120.3, was second in the NFL.

The 2009 season saw Rivers selected to the Chargers’ 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. He threw 28 touchdown passes and posted a passer rating of 104.4. He was one of just five NFL QBs in ’09 to pass for more than 4,000 yards, throw 25 or more touchdowns and record a season passer rating of 100.0-plus. Rivers’ passer rating was the NFL’s third-highest in ’09, and four times — tied with Brett Favre for most in the NFL — he posted a single-game passer rating of 130.0 or better. Rivers also had four games in 2008 where he rated 130.0 or better and is the only quarterback in team history to post four such games in a season. During the team’s 11-game win streak to close out the regular season, Rivers completed 69.0% of his passes (209 of 303) for 2,735 yards and a rating of 112.0 while throwing 21 touchdown passes and only six interceptions. His passer rating during those 11 weeks was the highest in the NFL.

Rivers grew up in Decatur, Alabama. His dad, Steve, a former linebacker at Mississippi State, was the head football coach at Decatur High School and Philip was a water boy for the team. Shortly before Philip was set to enroll at Decatur, Steve took the head coaching job at nearby Athens HS and Philip followed. He played linebacker as a sophomore and moved to quarterback as a junior. Since his first season under center at Athens, Philip has never had a losing record, going 11-2 (1998) and 10-3 (1999) at Athens; 8-4 (2000), 7-5 (2001), 11-3 (2002) and 8-5 (2003) at North Carolina State, and 14-2 (2006), 11-5 (2007), 8-8 (2008), 13-3 (2009) and 9-7 (2010) with the Chargers. A five-time MVP in bowl games, including the 2004 Senior Bowl, Rivers had a 3- 1 bowl record at N.C. State.

Now the latest Rivers prodigy to emerge from Athens is Philip’s younger brother, Stephen, who is headed to LSU to play quarterback and wear the same No. 17 that Philip wears in San Diego.

Rivers and his wife Tiffany, parents of five children (four girls and a boy), launched “Rivers of Hope” in 2010, a nonprofit foundation whose goal is to help abandoned children find permanent loving homes and provide children in foster care with a semblance of a normal life. Rivers’ interest in foster children was sparked after participating in a calendar photo shoot for San Diego County Adoption Agency several years back. It was the first time Rivers interacted with foster kids and he was moved by the constant change the children had to endure when moving from foster home to foster home. Rivers of Hope has already raised more than $200,000 through football camps and a 5K fun run. Rivers has been able to treat foster kids to Chargers and San Diego Padres games, and trips to Sea World. Rivers and teammate Quentin Jammer have also joined forces with San Pasqual Academy, a residential-education campus for foster teens, to assist in the funding of a new on-campus football stadium for the students.

Rivers is part-owner of D1 Sports Training and Therapy, a training and rehabilitation center in Huntsville, Alabama.

TRANSACTION HISTORY: Drafted in first-round (4) by NYG, April 24, 2004…traded to Chargers, April 24, 2004…signed six-year contract, Aug. 24, 2004...signed six-year extension thru 2015, Aug. 24, 2009.

2011: His 335 yards were his most ever in a season opener against Minnesota on September 11th...it was his 21st career 300-yard game and the 13th time in his career that he led the Chargers back for a win when trailing in the fourth quarter...Went over 20,000 career passing yards on his first completion of the game Week 2 against New England on a 29-yard pass to Vincent Jackson...Rivers finished the game 9 of 11 for 139 yards and a touchdown on third down...Had his best statistical outing of the season week 4 at Miami, completing 21 of 31 (.677) for 307 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. His rating was a season-high 110.6. It was also his first game of the season without an interception...Rivers was also fleet of foot, rushing for 15 yards to set up a late second-quarter field goal and for seven to help sustain a late fourth-quarter field goal drive.Scored the Chargers’ first touchdown of the game at Denver in Week 5 on a two-yard run in the second quarter...it was his third career rushing score and first since 2009...Tied his career high with four touchdowns Week 9 against Green Bay, his fourth-career 4-TD game…he finished the game with 385 yards, the fourth-highest in a game during his career. Rivers also had the first three-interception game of his career, ending his NFL-record streak of games started at the start of a career without a three-interception game…it was the 90th start of Rivers’ NFL career…the previous mark (57) was set by Hall of Fame QB Joe Montana...In Week 11 at Chicago, he threw two touchdown passes, the 150th and 151st of his career to join Dan Fouts (254) and John Hadl (201) as the only players in franchise history with 150 career scoring strikes...Rivers also became the 75th player in NFL history to throw 150 career touchdown passes...Rivers also went over 3,000 yards for the season in the game, marking his sixth-straight 3,000-yard campaign...Posted a season-high passer rating (146.1) on 22 of 28 completions (.786) for 294 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions Week 13 against Jacksonville...it included a 52-yard touchdown pass to Malcom Floyd, the Chargers’ longest since Week 4 vs. Miami...Rivers also increased his career completion total to 1,842, passing John Hadl (1,824) for second in team history...He completed his first nine passes and threw three touchdown passes Week 14 against Buffalo, increasing his season total to 22 and giving him at least 21 touchdown passes in all six seasons as a starter for the Chargers (2006-11). Rivers also appeared to have scored on a nine-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, however the score was nullified by a holding penalty...three plays later, however, he threw his second touchdown pass of the day to Gates...Rivers set up the score with three consecutive passes of 16, 17 and 13 yards to Vincent Jackson, and after the penalty, he hit Randy McMichael with a 17-yard catch to the three...He passed for 270 yards and went over 4,000 yards for the season on a 21-yard pass to Floyd that set up the touchdown that gave the Chargers a 31-7 lead over the Ravens in Week 15...it was Rivers’ team-record fourth straight 4,000-yard campaign. Rivers was 17 of 23 with a touchdown and no interceptions, extending his streak to four full games and 120 pass attempts without throwing an interception...Rivers was intercepted late in the fourth quarter Week 16 against Detroit, ending a career-best string of 170-straight passes without an interception...it was the first pick he threw since his last pass of the game Nov. 20 at Chicago.

2010: Pro Bowl...NFL Alumni Association quarterback of Year...Chargers MVP... USA Today Chargers MVP...334 yards vs. Jacksonville Sept. 19 for 16th-career 300- yard game, tying John Hadl for second in team history...team-record 455 yards Sept. 26 at Seattle, including career-high 53 attempts....was career-best 17th-consecutive game with touchdown pass...vs. Seahawks, increased career yardage to 16,279, passing Stan Humphries (16,085) for third in team history...AFC Offensive Player of Month (October) after completing 125 of 185 (.676) for NFL-leading 1,562 yards with eight touchdowns and 101.2 quarterback rating...passing yards were NFL record for October — Dan Marino (1,555 in 1988)...team-record third AFC Player of Month honor for Rivers...148.1 passer rating Oct. 3 vs. Arizona was secondhighest of career...431 yards Oct. 10 at Oakland was ninth in team history, including career-high 290 in first half...22 completions Oct. 17 at St. Louis to move past Humphries (1,335) for third in team history...team-
record 21st-straight game with touchdown pass Oct. 31 vs. Tennessee...305 yards vs. Titans, raising season total to 2,649, most ever in NFL for first eight games of season (Fouts—2,580 in 1982)...tied career-high with four touchdowns Nov. 7 at Houston...137.2 passer rating was best of season on road...passed Steve Young (96.8) as NFL’s all-time career passer rating (96.9) leader...second-straight four-touchdown game Nov. 22 vs. Denver...third quarterback in team history (Drew Brees, 2004 and Dan Fouts, 1985) with consecutive four-touchdown games...career-high (.826) completion percentage Nov. 28 at Indianapolis...23-game streak with touchdown pass ended vs. Colts...was team record and longest-active in NFL...25th touchdown Dec. 12 vs. Kansas City to become first Chargers quarterback with 25-plus touchdowns three straight seasons... threw 88th touchdown since ’08 for most by Chargers’ quarterback in three-year stretch (Fouts—87, 1979-81)... 24 attempts vs. Kansas City to pass Humphries (2,350) for third in team history...went over 4,000 yards Dec. 16 vs. San Francisco for third straight year, matching Fouts’ team record (1979-81)...threw 1,500th career completion vs. 49ers...posted 150.5 rating, second-highest of career...started Pro Bowl Jan. 30 at Aloha Stadium...was 17 of 26 for 192 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for AFC.

2009: Pro Bowl, Dallas Morning News' NFL MVP, Chargers MVP...Game Ball Sept. 14 at OAK after engineering GW TD drive of 89 yards in nine plays over final 2:30 4Q...completed 6-of-7 for 79 yards for 10th-career 4Q come-from-behind victory...was one of two 4Q TD drives...finished 4Q with 144.4 rating...career-high 436 yards vs. BAL Setp. 20, tying Fouts, who was at stadium working as analyst for CBS, for fourth-best passing game in team history...included career-long 81-yard 1Q TD pass to Darren Sproles for ninth longest pass play in team history...Oct. 25 at KC, throws career TDs 86-88 for third on team's all-time TD passes list...included 58-yarder to Sproles...Nov. 1 vs. OAK, streak of 143 passes w/o INT halted off tipped pass...first INT since Sept. 20, four-plus games...Game Ball after GW 18-yard TD to Vincent Jackson with 0:21 in 4Q for 21-20 win at NYG Nov. 8...11th-career 4Q GW TD drive...GW drive went eight plays, 80 yards and 1:46...Game Ball Nov. 15 vs. PHI after completing career-high 80.0% and posting 131.8 rating...December AFC Offensive POM...Game Ball after season-high 140.8 passer rating Dec. 6 at CLE...373 yards and two TDs vs. Browns...Game Ball Dec. 13 at DAL...100th career TD pass (14 yards to Antonio Gates) to tie as NFL’s eighth fastest to 100...Game Ball after leading GW 46-yard FG drive in 0:51 Dec. 20 vs CIN...GW FG was 52 yards...308 yards passing and three TDs vs. Bengals...OAK win at DEN minutes later clinches fourth-straight AFC West title...Game Ball Dec. 25 at TEN after clinching No. 2 seed in playoffs and surpassing 4,000 yards for season...132.1 rating vs. Titans for fourth 130-plus game of season...DNP in Pro Bowl (injury).

2008: Pro Bowl first- alternate…Chargers Offensive POY and co-MVP…Chargers Sept. Alumni Offensive POM…season high 377 yards Sept. 14 at DEN…Fed Ex Air NFL POW after 48-29 victory vs. NYJ on ESPN’s MNF Sept. 22…first pass INT and returned for TD, but completed next 19 of 24 for 250 yards and three TDs…Fed Ex Air NFL POW vs. NE on NBC’s SNF Oct. 12...first-career 300-yard game (306) at Qualcomm Stadium and season-high passer rating (141.9)… two second half TD passes in 20-19 win over KC Nov. 9…316 yards vs. Chiefs for first back-to-back 300-yard games by Charger since John Friesz (1991)…led GW 14-play, 94-yard drive in 8:28, going 8-of-8 for 75 yards…no TDs Nov. 16 at PIT, ending 16-game streak, tied with John Hadl for third-longest in team history…December AFC Offensive POM…Offensive POW by AFC and SI.com after 22-21 win Dec. 14 at KC...rallied team from 21-10 deficit in final 4:55 of 4Q, going 19 of 25 for 199 yards with two TDs and no INTs while directing TD drives of 89 and 61 yards…GW TD to Jackson (10 yards) 0:36 left…ESPN.com Game Ball after career-high four TDs in 41-24 win at TB Dec. 21…rallied team from 24-20 4Q deficit with TD passes of five and 32 yards...clinched third-straight AFC West title in 52-21 win over DEN Dec. 28…rallied Chargers from 17-14 deficit in 4Q of Wild Card vs. IND to 23-17 OT win...directed game-tying FG drive late in 4Q and GW TD drive on first series of OT…308 yards and three TDs in Jan. 11 Divisional Playoffs at PIT.

2007: Chargers co-Most Inspirational Player…completed first 15 passes Sept. 23 at GB, tying Fouts’ team record…16th intentionally thrown away thru back of end zone…AFC Offensive POW and FedEx Air NFL POW after season-best 151.4 passer rating Oct. 7 at DEN…first-career rushing TD and perfect 8-of-8 for 160 yards and two TDs (158.3) in 3Q vs. Broncos…Game Ball after three TDs Nov. 25 vs. BAL…injured (knee) 2Q at TEN Dec. 9, but returned in 3Q and threw two 4Q TD passes to lead OT come-from-behind victory…brought team back from 17-3 deficit in 4Q, capping 80-yard game-tying drive with TD to Gates with 0:09 in 4Q...Game Ball after 292 yards in Jan. 6 Wild Card win vs. TEN…25-yard TD to Jackson in 3Q gave Chargers first lead of game…4-of-4 for 55 yards on TD drive and 9-of-10 for 137 yards and TD (152.1) in 3Q…left Jan. 13 Divisional Playoff win at IND on last play 3Q after hurting knee while throwing screen pass to Sproles for 56-yard TD catch-and-run, putting Bolts up, 21-17…started and played entire AFC Championship Game Jan. 20 at NE with torn ACL in right knee.

2006: Pro Bowl…Chargers Offensive POY...Chargers Alumni POW after 40-7 win over TEN Sept. 17…SI “Who’s Hot” after 23-13 win over defending SB Champ Steelers Oct. 8…AFC Offensive POW and FedEx Air NFL POW after 334 yards and two TDs at SF Oct. 15…firstcareer 300-yard game...13 straight comp. in first half equaled third-most in team history… during comp. streak, racked up 195 yards and two TDs, including 57-yarder to Gates and 33-yarder to Jackson…completed 14 of first 15...lone incomplete intentionally thrown away…led four scoring drives in game w/o incompletion, including three TD drives…9-of-10 for 142 yards and TD on third downs…NBC Football Night in America Player of Day and SI.com Offensive POW after 337 yards and three TDs in 49-41 come-from-behind win at CIN Nov. 12, including first-half deficits of 21-0 and 28-7...led squad to team-record 42 points in second half…three TD passes in second half…19-of-25 for 291 yards and three TDs after falling behind 21-0 and three INC were throwaways…6-of-6 on TDs inside red zone...8-of-8 for 93 yards and TD (154.7) on 3rd downs in second half…led Chargers from 17-point deficit in 35-27 win at DEN Nov. 19...battled back after INT returned 31 yards for TD to give DEN 24-7 lead…led early 99-yard drive, Bolts’ longest since Nov. 25, 2001… fourth pass of game INT, ending streak of 125 consecutive passes w/o INT, then longest active streak in NFL…was first INT since Oct. 22 at KC…picture-perfect 37-yard GW TD pass to Jackson in rain with 0:29 in 4Q Dec. 24 at SEA…despite foot sprain, season-high 79.2 pct. vs. ARI Dec. 31...9 of 10 for 135 yards and two TDs (158.3) in 2Q…played thru foot sprain in Jan. 14 playoffs vs. NE…DNP in Pro Bowl (foot).

2005: Took over for Drew Brees (injured) in 2Q of Dec. 31 season finale vs.DEN...led team on 10-play, 69-yard TD drive on first series.

2004: Played second half vs. KC Jan. 2 and threw first-career TD pass to Malcom Floyd.

COLLEGE: second all-time in NCAA with 13,484 yards and tied for fifth with 95 TDs…five-time bowl MVP, including ’04 Senior Bowl…seventh in Heisman voting as senior…34-17 as starter with NCAA-record 51 career starts…school and ACC records for attempts (1,710), completions(1,147), TDs responsible for (112), 300-yard games (18) and 400-yard games (7)…seventh QB in NCAA and first in ACC with three 3,000-yard seasons…2003 ACC POY and first-team All-ACC after led NCAA with 72.0% completions and 170.5 rating, while second in yards (4,491) and total offense (353.9 ypg)… MVP of ’03 Tangerine Bowl...career-high 475 yards and school-record tying five TDs in 56-26 win over Kansas…second- team All-ACC as junior…“Award of Distinction” from Columbus TD Club…co-Governor’s Award as team MVP…MVP of ’02 Gator Bowl win vs. Notre Dame…CNN/SI National POW for five-TDs vs. Navy in ’02…honorable mention All-ACC as soph. and MVP of Citrus Bowl…ACC ROY and Academic All-ACC in ’00…Newcomer of Year by ABC Sports...Freshman of Year by Football News and Columbus TD Club…MVP of ’00 Micron PC Bowl…ACC POW once, ACC Offensive Back of Week twice and league-record ACC Rookie of Week eight times…played at NC State from 2000-03…degree in business..

PERSONAL: Born in Decatur, Alabama…Alabama Player of Year as senior at Athens High School.