Philip Rivers
On his favoriteacademic subject
I'm a math guy.Calculus, all that stuff. My favorite subject in college [N.C. State] wasstatistics. Some people would be like, Gosh, I hate this stuff, but I used toget fired up trying to figure out a problem. I get my math from my mother[Joan]. She was a competitive swimmer and a math teacher. Me and her, we had ablast doing calculus stuff.
On his favoritefifth-grade project
It was aboutthings that were important to you, things you don't like, and you could makethree wishes. For things I don't like I put mayonnaise, and for things that areimportant to me I said church and family and football. One wish was for abrother--I was an only child at the time. My brother, Stephen, is now 14, and Ihave a sister, Anna, who's eight. Another wish was to be an NFL player. I hadthe cover of SI, with a Viking on it. I just cut out my little fifth-gradepicture and put it over his face.
On living with hiswife, Tiffany, and their three young daughters
Our two dogs, Lolaand Raleigh, are girls as well, so I'm really outnumbered. It's great. You'rebuttoning baby clothes, trying to put a ponytail in. The puzzles and theBarbies. I know how to do all those things. Not too many balls being thrownaround.
On being a ballboy for the Decatur (Ala.) High teams that his dad, Steve, coached
I loved it whenthe ball was inside the 30, because the coaches can't go down there. If it wasthird and one, they didn't know how close they were, so I got to hold my handsup and tell them, "Hey, you need this much." I felt like I had a say inwhether they were going to go for the first down or not. One game it wasabsolutely pouring rain. The towels I had for the balls were all soaking wet. Iremember vividly my dad hollering, "Get us a dry ball!" and justlooking at him, like, Are you kidding me? He knew he could blame it on me andI'd still go home with him.
On where he gothis distinctive three-quarters throwing motion
Me and my dad'stheory is that I was around his practices as a little kid, so I was throwing abig ball--a high school regulation ball--as a five-, six-year-old. I had to useall my might and do whatever it took. We think that's how the awkward motionstarted. Obviously it hasn't been a problem to this point.
On his linemen
I don't spend aton of time outside football hanging out, but I try to be involved with thoseguys. I like to talk, to be personal. We joke around. The other day [guard]Kris Dielman was jabbing me about my [sore right] foot, "Oh you poor baby,your poor foot." And I was jabbing him about injuries he's had. That's thecool thing about this team: Everyone's on the same level.
RIVERS, 25, WILL MAKE HIS PLAYOFF DEBUT AGAINST THE PATRIOTS THIS SUNDAY
PHOTO
Tim Mantoani
PHOTO
JOHN BIEVER (RIVERS ACTION)