Rivers also orchestrated 32 game-winning drives and 28 fourth-quarter comebacks. It all added up to 123 wins as the Chargers starting quarterback, a number that obviously ranks first in team history.
“There are so many things I can say about Philip Rivers,” Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson told Chargers.com. “I think the one thing that I will always remember is I never felt like we were going to lose when he was playing quarterback.
“The confidence that he exuded really permeated throughout the entire team,” Tomlinson added. “And then, the fact of his ability to connect with everyone on the team, no matter your background or your race. He was truly a great leader.”
Yet for all the 300-yard games and memorable moments in Rivers’ career, what he remembers most — and what he is probably most remembered for — is simply the way he played the game.
Because, dadgummit, almost nobody loved the game more than Rivers, who became known for wearing his heart on his sleeve and letting his opponents know what was on his mind.
“There are some clips I look at and shake my head,” Rivers said. “Some are a little bit embarrassing and some where I go, ‘Dang, that was a lot of fun. I was having a blast.’ But knowing who I am, I know I was having a blast. Is there an edginess to it? Are you trying to get under the skin of the opponent? Of course.
“But it was just a lot of fun and again, it’s in the backyard. It’s nothing I wouldn’t have said to my brother when we were arguing about something playing when we were kids,” Rivers continued.
“It never changed. It was in the backyard in Decatur, Alabama … and then it just so happened to be at Qualcomm Stadium or Arrowhead Stadium or Mile High Stadium. That is a little more magnified,” Rivers added.
Hardwick and Spanos both used the word “infectious” when describing what it was like to be around Rivers on a daily basis.
“It could be a middle-of-the-week practice and it could be a rep against the scout team and you could feel the importance of that play,” Spanos said. “He would get mad if someone on the defense knocked it down. It would fire him up.
“A big part of what made him so great was that he had that drive and everything mattered so much to him,” Spanos continued. “I remember he gave a talk once after practice where he spoke about the phrase, ‘Everything matters.’ And his point was that it can’t just be game day that matters. The practices have to matter too, and he embodied that.
“And there’s no doubt that it rubbed off on his teammates, and it was a big part of why we had so much success with him here,” Spanos added.
“When somebody comes to work like that, it was hard not to buy into it,” Hardwick explained. “He still found so much joy in all the little things after so many years. That spirit — he was obviously very committed to winning and highly competitive — but you can still keep it in perspective and remember where you’re at.”
