High-school football is underway in Alabama with Thursday marking Philip Rivers’ head-coaching debut at St. Michael Catholic. And it couldn’t have gone much better for the former Chargers and Colts QB, with St. Michael pummeling visiting McIntosh High by a convincing 49-0 margin. Per usual, the 39-year-old (and father of nine) brought plenty of enthusiasm to Thursday night’s win, oozing passion in a predictably animated post-game interview.
“I tell you what, Thursday and Friday nights, after playing 250-something games in the NFL and 50-something college games, those three years playing at Athens High School, being around it at Decatur High [where his father coached for several years] growing up, were some of my favorite memories. They really are,” shared Rivers, who retired this offseason as the fifth-leading passer in NFL history behind only Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Brett Favre. “I’m trying to remind these kids of that so they embrace it.”
Rivers admitted he was keeping his options open earlier this summer, not ruling out a return to the NFL or his former team the Colts, who have been down a quarterback for much of training camp with Carson Wentz recovering from foot surgery. However, with Wentz trending toward a Week 1 return, Rivers appears fully committed to his coaching duties, soaking up every moment of his post-NFL career.
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“We got a handful that will play at the next level, and I want them to want to. But I also want them to appreciate experiences like this,” said Rivers, who many expect will be enshrined in Canton when he becomes Hall-of-Fame eligible in a few years. “They’re all over there with their families and classmates. You won a football game. I told them, ‘Be excited.’ It’s awesome and I’m enjoying the heck out of it.”
Known for his unorthodox throwing motion and remarkable durability—he never missed a game once he became a starter in 2006 (240 straight starts)—Rivers was one of the sport’s great characters, playing with a youthful energy that teammates and coaches found infectious. A born leader who proved doubters wrong at every turn of his riveting NFL journey, Rivers appears to already be a natural on the sidelines.
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