Philip Rivers's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A closer look at the biggest achievements of Philip Rivers. Awards, milestones, and records that define success.

Philip Rivers is a former NFL quarterback who played for 17 seasons, primarily with the Chargers. Drafted in 2004, he spent 16 seasons with the Chargers after being traded from the Giants and finished his career with the Indianapolis Colts. Rivers played college football at NC State and is known for his longevity and competitiveness in the NFL. Since retiring from professional football, he has become a high school football coach in Alabama.

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Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1981: Dan Fouts held the Chargers' record for touchdown passes in a season

In 1981, Dan Fouts set the Chargers' record for touchdown passes in a season, with 33 touchdowns. This record was broken by Philip Rivers in 2008.

1982: Dan Fouts single-game passing yardage record

In 1982, Dan Fouts set the franchise single-game record for most passing yardage, with 444 yards. This was broken by Philip Rivers in 2010.

1994: Chargers win first playoff games since 1994

In 2007, the Chargers won their first two playoff games since the 1994 season, beating the Tennessee Titans and the Indianapolis Colts.

2000: Freshman Year at NC State

In 2000, during his freshman year, Philip Rivers led NC State to an 8-4 record, including a win in the MicronPC Bowl. He also broke several school passing records and earned ACC Freshman of the Year honors.

2003: Gator Bowl Win

In 2003, Philip Rivers delivered an MVP performance, leading the Wolfpack to a dominating 28-6 win over Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl.

2003: Tangerine Bowl Victory

In 2003, Philip Rivers led NC State to a 56-26 win over Kansas in the Tangerine Bowl, earning his second straight bowl MVP award. He was also named ACC Player of the Year and ACC Athlete of the Year.

2003: Record-Breaking Season

In 2003, Philip Rivers led the ACC in passing attempts, completions, yards, and touchdowns, leading to NC State qualifying for a bowl game.

2007: Chargers win AFC West

In 2007, Norv Turner became head coach, and after a slow start, the Chargers finished 11-5, winning the AFC West for the second straight year. Rivers ended the 2007 season with 3,152 passing yards, 21 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions.

2007: Pro Bowl Selection

In 2007, Philip Rivers' performance in the 2006 season led to his selection to the Pro Bowl. After a 14-2 season the Chargers had home field advantage and were set to play the New England Patriots in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. However, the Patriots won that game 24-21, and Schottenheimer was fired amid conflicts with team president Dean Spanos.

2007: Rivers plays with torn ACL in AFC Championship

In the 2007 AFC Championship Game, Philip Rivers played the entire game with a torn ACL. His performance was lauded as one of the gutsiest in NFL history.

December 28, 2008: Rivers sets Chargers record for touchdown passes in a season

On December 28, 2008, Philip Rivers set the Chargers team record for touchdown passes in a season with 34, surpassing Dan Fouts' previous record from 1981.

2008: Rivers ties career-high passer rating

In 2008, Philip Rivers' 105.5 passer rating tied his career high. Rivers had another season with a 105.5 passer rating in 2013.

January 3, 2009: Chargers defeat Colts in Wild Card Round

On January 3, 2009, the San Diego Chargers defeated the Indianapolis Colts in the Wild Card Round after Philip Rivers led the team down the field to set up a game-tying field goal, leading to an overtime victory.

2010: Rivers named NFL Alumni Player of the Year

In 2010, Philip Rivers was named the NFL Alumni Player of the Year, surpassing Tom Brady for the award, though Brady was The Associated Press 2010 Most Valuable Player.

2011: Rivers has strong end to 2011 season

Philip Rivers concluded the 2011 season with a strong performance, throwing for 310 passing yards and 3 touchdowns in a win against the Raiders. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the season.

2011: Rivers invited to Pro Bowl

Philip Rivers was invited to the 2011 Pro Bowl, his fourth invite overall, and started in place of an injured Tom Brady. It was the first time he played in a Pro Bowl.

2012: Rivers ranked in NFL Top 100

In 2012, Philip Rivers was ranked 61st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players list.

2012: Rivers starts 100th consecutive game

In 2012, during a win against the Kansas City Chiefs, Philip Rivers started his 100th career game, which was also his 100th consecutive start.

2013: Rivers has career resurgence in 2013

After a few difficult seasons, Philip Rivers experienced a career resurgence in 2013 with a revamped offensive system. He had several high-performance games, set an NFL record for completion percentage, and led the Chargers to the playoffs.

May 17, 2014: Honorary Degree

On May 17, 2014, Philip Rivers received an honorary degree, doctor of humane letters, and addressed the class of 2014 at the 125th annual commencement ceremony of the Catholic University of America (CUA).

2014: Rivers named Comeback Player of the Year

In 2014, Philip Rivers was named Comeback Player of the Year by both the Associated Press (AP) and Pro Football Writers Association (PFWA) after a strong season.