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Eight-time Pro Bowl QB Philip Rivers wins high school coaching debut

By Erin Walsh | Last updated 8/27/21

Former NFL quarterback Philip Rivers is now 1-0 as a high school football coach in Alabama.

The eight-time Pro Bowler led the St. Michael Catholic Cardinals to a 49-0 victory over McIntosh Thursday night, and he described it as a "special" moment.

"It's the process that makes it awesome," Rivers said after the win. "Tonight was special. Shoot, I'm looking over and dad's standing on the track, mom's in the stands, my boys are spotting the ball, my brother is here coaching ... it was that kind of night."

Longtime NFL QB Philip Rivers talks about the pure joy of high school football following his first win as a head coach at St. Michael. pic.twitter.com/uFKolVujrV
— Ben Thomas (@BenThomasPreps) August 27, 2021

The Cardinals led McIntosh 42-0 at halftime, and the win marked St. Michael's sixth victory in program history. St. Michael Catholic opened in 2016 and has had just three varsity football seasons before this fall, going 5-25.

Rivers was hired as the team's coach in 2020, with the plan for him to take over whenever his playing days in the NFL were over. After 16 seasons with the Chargers and another with the Colts, the veteran announced his retirement in 2021.

The 39-year-old is following in his father's footsteps as a high school coach. His father, Steve Rivers, coached at Athens High School, where Philip was an all-state quarterback before playing at NC State.

Earlier this month, Rivers left the door open for a potential return to the NFL, saying he had "not completely" ruled it out. However, he said the situation has to be right in order for him to return.

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