Philip Rivers returns to football – as a high school coach

Philip Rivers was back on a football field Thursday night, but he wasn’t behind center, surveying the field as he barked out the play.

He was roaming the sideline, headset perched over a baseball cap, barking out orders to the St. Michael Catholic Cardinals of Fairhope, Alabama, as they took on the McIntosh Demons in their season opener.

Rivers was making his high school coaching debut, and he led his team to a 49-0 victory.

The eight-time Pro Bowler, who passed for 63,440 yards and 421 touchdowns across 17 NFL seasons, 16 of them with the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers, said he was nervous before his first game as head coach.

After the game, he talked about how special it felt to be involved in high school football and how the whole experience ranks high among his career highlights.

"It’s awesome," he said. "I tell you what, Thursday, Friday nights, after playing 250-something NFL games, 50-something college games, those three years playing at Athens High School, being around Decatur High growing up, were some of my favorite memories. … It’s awesome. I’m trying to remind the kids of that so they embrace it."

Rivers was actually hired by St. Michael Catholic in 2020, with the understanding that he would take the job when he retired from the NFL. After leading the Indianapolis Colts to an 11-5 record in 2020 at age 39, he did just that.

The longtime quarterback has a deep connection to high school football, as his father, Steve, coached him at Athens (Alabama) High School, where he was an all-state quarterback before heading to N.C. State.

How long Rivers stays at the high school remains to be seen — he mentioned earlier in August that he has not ruled out returning to the NFL — but for now, he’s enjoying the ride.

"Tonight was special," he said.

The sports world was tickled to see the vivacious Rivers back in the football spotlight.

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