5/8/2020 football Edit

NC State football legend Philip Rivers makes post-NFL career plans

Matt Carter • TheWolfpackCentral

Editor

Philip Rivers still has some NFL football left in him, but he has already made his plans for when the day comes that the former NC State football legend hangs up the cleats.

On Friday, Rivers was named the head coach in waiting at St. Michael Catholic High School in Fairhope, Ala., pending his retirement. Rivers signed a one-year contract worth $25 million in the offseason to take over as the starting quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts.

Whenever Rivers does give it up, he will be following in his father’s footsteps. His dad Steve Rivers coached Philip at Athens (Ala.) High, and while Philip was at NC State, Steve coached Wakefield High in Raleigh. Overall, Steve Rivers had a 152-79 coaching record in the state of Alabama at three different high schools and was 36-15 in four years at Wakefield.

“I had two childhood dreams,” Philip Rivers told Ben Thomas of AL.com. “One was to play in the NFL, and I’m now going into my 17th season. The other was to be a high school football coach as my dad was.”

Former NC State Wolfpack football quarterback Philip Rivers — Rivers is still the all-time leader in passing yards in ACC history. (Ken Martin)

Rivers will play his 16th season in the NFL this fall having thrown for 59,271 career yards, sixth most all time at the professional level. The eight-time Pro Bowler was the 2013 NFL Comeback Player of the Year and is also sixth in career touchdown passes (397), ninth in pass completion percentage (64.7 percent) and 10th in passer rating (95.1).

Rivers shattered the ACC passing records while at NC State (1999-2003), including most passing yards (13,484) and touchdowns (95). He was later passed by Clemson’s Tahj Boyd in 2013 in TD throws (107), but his passing yards is still 1,580 more yards than anyone else in league history.

Rivers’ No. 17 is retired at NC State.