Philip Rivers was born on December 8, 1981 in Decatur, Alabama. Rivers is one of the best young quarterbacks in the world, and he’s proven it time and time again on the field. Not only does he have all the physical tools he needs as a good quarterback, but he’s also one of the smartest players in the game. When you combine these two things, it’s easy to see why he will be a great player in the NFL for many years to come.
Rivers attended Athens High School and excelled both in the classroom and on the football field. In his senior year, he played safety and quarterback, and this led to him being named Alabama Football Player of the Year.
After high school, Rivers chose to take his game to North Carolina State University. During his days playing for the Wolfpack, Rivers broke nearly every school and conference record. Perhaps his greatest record is that for the most games he was started by a college quarterback with 51. This not only showed his consistency, but also his determination to lead his team’s game on and off. . Rivers led the Wolfpack to four bowl games and came home with wins in three of them.
Rivers was selected by the New York Giants with the fourth pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. Shortly after, he was traded to the San Diego Chargers for quarterback Eli Manning. After some delay, Rivers finally signed a six-year deal worth $40.5 million.
During the 2004 season, Rivers saw limited action, appearing in only two games. The 2005 season was more of the same, as he couldn’t beat Drew Brees for the starting quarterback position.
Rivers was finally named the starting quarterback in 2006 after Brees left for New Orleans. During his first season as a full-time starter, Rivers put up solid numbers. He did a very good job of managing the game, which was evident by the Chargers’ 14-2 record and the AFC West Championship.