North Carolina State University Athletics
Charge! Rivers Goes to San Diego
4/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 24, 2004
NFL Draft Tracker
Coverage from Chargers.com
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C. - The NC State quarterback who rewrote his school's and conference's record books is now ready to author a new era in the National Football League. Philip Rivers, who ended his college career No. 2 on the NCAA's all-time passing list, became the 4th overall pick in Saturday's NFL Draft when he was taken by the New York Giants. But Rivers will begin his NFL career in San Diego. After taking Rivers, the Giants sent Rivers to the Chargers in exchange for Mississippi quarterback Eli Manning, who was the first player taken in the draft.
"There for a minute I had to act like a Giant because officially I was," Rivers said. "I didn't really know what was going to happen, but a few minutes later I was a Charger. It all worked out. Yesterday washing my car, I had a Chargers T-shirt on, so I was getting a feel for how it might work out and it did."
In the history of NC State football, only quarterback Roman Gabriel, who was the second pick of the 1962 draft, has been a higher draft pick.
Rivers was watching the draft on television with his family in Raleigh when the call came.
"I'm fired up to be a Charger," he said during a conference call. "That's one thing that the town of San Diego and the fans are going to get is a guy who wants to be there and be a part of it."
Manning, on the other hand, didn't want to be a part of it. Before and after the draft, he and his father, Archie, threatened to sit out next season if he was indeed taken by the Chargers. San Diego fans watching the draft on television actually booed when the club took Manning, whose older brother, Peyton, was also a No. 1 draft pick when he was taken by the Indianapolis Colts out of Tennessee.
"I think there are a lot of things that can be accomplished here with the Chargers," Rivers said. "When you're at a place like this, there are so many things you can accomplish and be a part of a group that got things going. I really believe that if you get guys that love the game and develop a love for each other and get after it, any given team can win. I feel confident that the Chargers can do that."
During a brilliant career that saw him set a new Division one record for consecutive starts with 51 in a row, Rivers passed for 13, 484 yards, a figure that is surpassed only by Ty Detmer of Brigham Young in the annals of college football. In becoming the ACC's all-time leader in passing yards and total offense, the Athens, Alabama native became the first quarterback in league history to throw for more than 3,000 yards in three different seasons.
Rivers also set new ACC marks in his senior campaign by passing for 4,491 yards, while also connecting on .720 of his passes. All told, he now owns a total of nine Atlantic Coast Conference records.
But even after putting up such astronomical numbers in his four years at NC State, Rivers didn't become sure-fire first-round material until the week of the Senior Bowl in January. Wowing the pro coaches with his intelligence, instincts and accuracy, Rivers was named the MVP of the annual college all-star game, passing for 213 yards and two touchdowns.
It was there that he first came in contact with the Chargers brass, including Marty Schottenheimer who coached the South squad that Rivers led to victory.
"From day one I developed a great relationship with coach Schottenheimer and the staff," Rivers said. "It gradually grew from there, so I think everything worked out for the best for both sides."
Since that week, the only question was just how high Rivers would go in the first round. His stock then continued to escalate following a series of meetings and workouts with a variety of NFL teams. It even got to the point where no one expressed any concerns about his unorthodox delivery.
"If you throw for a 70-percent completion rate, you're OK," Schottenheimer said.
The Rivers File
Games Played/Games Started: 51 (NCAA Record)
Completions/Attempts: 1087-of-1710 (Both ACC records)
Completion Percentage: .636% (ACC Record)
Passing Yards: 13,484 (No. 1 ACC/No. 2 NCAA)
Touchdown Passes: 95 (No. 1 ACC)
Passing Efficiency: 144.16 (ACC Record)
Total Offense: 13, 582 (No. 1 ACC/No. 2 NCAA)
300-Yard Games: 18 (ACC Record)
400-Yard Games: 7 (ACC Record)
+3000 Passing Seasons: 3 (ACC Record)
