Players

Voted to the Chargers' 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and a Pro Bowl selection in 2009, Rivers is posting numbers unseen in San Diego since the likes of Hall of Famer Dan Fouts. He comes into the 2010 season off a second-consecutive 4,000-yard campaign, one in which he threw for a career-high 4,254 yards. Fouts, the only other quarterback in franchise history to throw for 4,000 yards, did so three times, including a team-record 4,802 yards in 1981. With an arsenal that features Vincent Jackson, Antonio Gates and Malcom Floyd, Fouts' record is certainly within Rivers' reach.

Rivers aeronautics are sure to continue in San Diego well into the future. He signed a six-year contract extension on Aug. 24, 2009 to remain with the team through 2015. Rivers also threw 28 touchdown passes and finished ’09 with a passer rating of 104.4. He was one of just five NFL QBs that passed for more than 4,000 yards, threw 25 or more touchdowns and recorded a season passer rating of 100.0-plus, joining Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees, Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger. Rivers' passer rating was the NFL's third-highest in '09, and four times— tied with Favre for most in the NFL — Rivers posted a single-game passer rating of 130.0 or better. He also led the NFL with four such games in 2008 and is the only quarterback in franchise history to ever record four or more 130.0-plus rated games in a season. Rivers begins 2010 with a streak of 14 consecutive games with a touchdown pass, including playoffs. He was sensational during the team’s 11-game winning streak in '09 as the team went from 3.5 games behind Denver to an AFC West title and the No. 2 seed in the AFC Playoffs. During that stretch, 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 over those 11 weeks was the highest in the NFL and his completion percentage was third.

The team's starting quarterback since 2006, Rivers led the Chargers to four straight AFC West titles, a 20-4 mark in AFC West play, a career record of 49-22 (.690) as a starter (including playoffs), an even more impressive 28-8 (.778) record at Qualcomm Stadium, and an 18-0 record in the month of December. Rivers is also the team's career record-holder for regular-season completion percentage (63.1) and passer rating (95.8).

Ball security has been a trademark of Rivers' career. In '09 he threw only nine regular-season interceptions in 486 passing plays, and twice during the season, he went four full games without throwing an interception (streaks of 143 and 118 passes). With 64 regular-season starts under his belt, Rivers owns the NFL's longest streak of games started to begin a career without throwing three or more interceptions in a game. By comparison, Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana had the longest previous streak (57 games). One of the keys to Rivers' and the Chargers' success in '09 was the team’s ability to score inside the red zone. The Chargers closed out the season scoring on 39 of their last 42 red zone possessions (27 TDs and 12 FGs). The team took a knee to run out the clock on one of the three possessions they didn’t score. In total, the Chargers scored on 56 of 63 red-zone possessions in 2009 (.889), tied for the third-highest scoring percentage in the NFL.

Rivers' ascent began in 2008 when he 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, and he joined 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. Rivers logged six 300-yard games  in '08, the most since Fouts had seven in 1985. He did so after collecting just four in his first two years as the starter. He even did it in back-to-back games, something not done by  a Chargers quarterback since 1991. Rivers capped off 2008 with a sensational month of  December while leading the Chargers to the playoffs. He went 4-0, improving 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.

Rivers was acquired by the Chargers in a trade with the New York Giants a little more than an hour into the 2004 NFL Draft. Essentially the Chargers drafted Eli Manning and shipped him to New York, while the Giants drafted Rivers and he landed in San Diego. Rivers spent the better part of his first two years on the sidelines behind Brees. He took over in 2006 and was outstanding from his first start on Sept. 11 in a nationally-televised ESPN Monday Night Football game at Oakland. Rivers led the Chargers to a 27-0 win, going 8-of-11 (.727) for a 133.0 passer rating. Since 1995, it was the second-highest completion percentage and third-highest rating for an NFL quarterback making his first career start in a season opener.

Rivers made the Pro Bowl in 2006 after leading the Chargers to a team-record 14 wins. It included 10 straight wins to close out the season, which the Chargers finished undefeated at home for the first time in team history. That '06 squad scored a team-record 492 points and Rivers achieved some notable marks along the way. He became the first NFL quarterback to lead a team back from 17-point deficits in consecutive weeks. Rivers not only did that, but he did so on the road, leading the Chargers to wins in Cincinnati and Denver in consecutive weeks. During those 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). 

Rivers led the Chargers to the AFC Championship Game in 2007. Including playoffs, the teamput together an eight-game winning streak during which Rivers 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). Rivers' toughness, both mental and physical, was put on full display in the final weeks of the regular season and the postseason. In an early December victory over Tennessee, Rivers had to leave the game after spraining his knee. He returned during the second half and led the Chargers to a come-from-behind victory in overtime. Rivers continued to play and fought through the final month of the season in severe pain. A different knee injury in the Bolts' Divisional Playoff game in Indianapolis also sent him to the sideline, but Rivers refused to let it end his season. He had an arthroscopic procedure to repair a torn ACL on Monday following the Chargers' playoff victory over the Colts and just six days later started and took every snap in the AFC Championship Game on a cold day in New England.

Rivers has always been a winner. Since his junior season at Athens High 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 Carolina State, and 14-2 (2006), 11-5 (2007), 8-8 (2008) and 13-3 (2009) with the Chargers. 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 and his wife Tiffany have five children, four girls and a boy, and make their year-round home in San Diego. They recently launched a nonprofit foundation, "Rivers of Hope," a three-tiered program whose goal is to help abandoned children find permanent loving homes and provide children in foster care with some semblance of a normal life. The idea for the foundation was sparked after Rivers participated in a calendar photo shoot for San Diego County Adoption Agency a couple of years back. It was the first time Rivers interacted with foster kids and he was clearly touched by the constant change the children had to endure when moving from foster home to  foster home.

Rivers is also part-owner of D1 Sports Training and Therapy, a training and  rehabilitation center in Huntsville, Alabama, D1 is a specialized facility that provides its  clients with training at a level expected from athletes in NCAA Division I sports.

Rivers grew up in Decatur, Alabama, and his dad, Steve, was the head football coach at Decatur High School. As a child, Philip was always around the game and he served as a water boy for Steve's Decatur team. Shortly before Philip was set to enroll at Decatur, Steve took the head coaching jobat nearby Athens High School so it was there that Philip ended up playing for his dad. Now the latest Rivers prodigy is set to emerge from Athens as Philip's younger brother, Stephen, is one of the hottest quarterback prospects in the nation. A senior-to-be  in 2010, Stephen is drawing interest from some of the top schools in the SEC and the Pac-10.

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 college basketball coach Bob Knight. During Rivers' junior season in 2002, the Wolfpack traveled to Texas Tech to face the Red Raiders in an early season football game. While talking to reporters during the week leading up to the game, Rivers mentioned that he wanted to do two things: beat Texas Tech and meet Coach Knight. When Knight caught wind of the story, he made a special trip to greet Rivers and histeammates 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 today. 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 Petco Park. Knight happened to be at the game that night as a guest of the Padres and he and Philip spoke briefly before the game.

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.

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.