He has led his team to four division titles and ranks sixth all-time in passing yards and touchdowns. For a man who once had his face on the cover of Sports Illustrated for his fifth-grade dreams and aspirations homework, his NFL career is a dream come true. But for Philip Rivers, the success and admiration all come down to his family.
His parents were huge pillars of support for his dream and he has passed that on to his own family, which includes his wife, who was his high school sweetheart, Tiffany Rivers, and their nine children. A man destined for the NFL Hall of Fame when he hangs his helmet, it all began in his childhood.
Philip Rivers Played Under His Father in High School
Born on December 8, 1981, in Decatur, Alabama, to Steve, a football coach, and his mother, Joan, a schoolteacher, Philip Rivers fell in love with football at a young age. As a child who dreamed of playing at the highest levels of the sport, his parents, especially his father, not only indulged his dream, but they also fostered it.
Steve Rivers was a high school coach at Decatur High School before moving to Athens High School. Although Philips was yet to become a high school player, his father was already instilling the qualities that would make him the star he is today. He taught him leadership, compassion, and drive. Before becoming a coach, Philip’s father was once a linebacker in the 1970s and played for the Mississippi State.
His father eventually coached him when the family relocated to Athens, Alabama. Under him, where he played briefly as a linebacker, Philip’s understanding of football became well-rounded. Growing up with his parents, Philips also learned competitiveness.
It is a quality the quarterback and his parents share with his maternal grandfather, Bob Gunner, whom he describes as ultra-competitive. For a long time, Philip Rivers was an only child, soaking up his parents’ teaching and qualities.
That changed when he was 11. His parents gave birth to his first sibling, Stephen. When he was 16, his second sibling, a sister, Anna, was born. Like Philips, Stephen is a quarterback who played for Austin High School, Louisiana State University, Northwestern State University, and briefly with Vanderbilt University, all between the 2014 and 2015 seasons. His sister, Anna, is a registered nurse.
The Colts Quarterback is the Father of Nine Children
It is a family size that rarely exists today, especially in the modern world. Yet, Philip Rivers and his wife, Tiffany, are managing one. The couple who met in middle school, are raising nine children. Their romantic journey began years back when Philip was on the football team, and she was a cheerleader.
They got engaged in the first spring in his college freshman year and got married the following spring in his sophomore year. With no significant income for the couple, Tiffany initially lived with Phillip’s parents and gave birth to the couple’s first child, Halle, while living there.
Since he made it to the NFL, he and his wife have been able to afford their own place and increase their family with eight more children.
SHE'S HERE.
Welcome to the world, Anna Rivers 👶 pic.twitter.com/oafdNNI6lI
— Los Angeles Chargers (@Chargers) March 26, 2019
They have seven daughters – Halle, Grace, Caroline, Rebecca, Sarah, Claire, and two sons – Gunner and Peter. Halle, the oldest, was born on July 6, 2002, about a year after her parents’ marriage. Their youngest child, Anna, was born in March 2019.
Their Relationship and Faith Has Been Key to Raising Their Family
Those familiar with Philip Rivers know he is a devout Catholic. He grew up as one, and it has stayed that way. Tiffany, who runs the swimwear company, Hermoza, converted to Catholicism following their marriage. This shared faith has been instrumental in how they raise their family and even the number of children they have chosen to have.
For Philip and Tiffany, it is not how many they want, but rather whatever is God’s will. Raising nine children, their partnership as a couple has been vital. Having been together since middle school, Philip describes Tiffany as his best friend and being on the same page allows them to distribute their responsibilities parents perfectly.
Also, Philip uses lessons from his upbringing, especially the importance of spending time with your children. While he is often busy during football season, during the offseason, he stays home a lot. He picks up the kids from school and coaches their Little League teams.
During the playing season, the family tries to eat dinner together on Wednesdays and Thursdays. With eleven people in the family, they try to build an environment where trust and love for God are paramount. So far, it has been working.
Philip Rivers Has Made More than $243 Million From Four Contracts
He has played for two teams in the NFL, the San Diego Chargers, where he spent the first 16 seasons of his career, and the Indianapolis Colts, whom he joined in 2020. During his career-defining years with the Chargers, he signed three contracts with the team.
His first was a six-year, $40.5 million deal when the Chargers drafted him in 2004. He received a $7.650 million signing bonus and a roster bonus of $1.075 million in his rookie year. In August 2009, he extended his contract with a six-year deal worth $91.8 million.
Philip Rivers signed his last contract with the Chargers in August 2015, a deal worth $83.2 million across four years. He earned $15 million in salary in the first year and a signing bonus of $17 million. He made another $10.5 million in the second year and a further $5.5 million in signing bonus.
Following his contract’s expiration in 2019 and the Chargers’ refusal to resign him, he signed a one year, $25 million deal with the Indianapolis Colts in March 2020. The contract brings his total career earnings to $243.9 million across 17 seasons, helping him to an $80 million net worth.
Despite Having an $80 Million Net Worth, Philip Rivers Lives a Modest Life
Maybe it’s his faith or the discipline he learned during his childhood, but Philip Rivers has lived a modest life since he made it to the NFL. Over his 17 seasons in the NFL, he has amassed an estimated net worth of $80 million, earned mainly from salaries and bonuses.
Despite being a high-earning pro football player, Philip lives a very modest lifestyle. Mostly garbed in modest casual attire and cowboy boots, he owned a 2008 model Ford. One of the few known lavish expenses of his career is a Cadillac Escalade he customized. With an investment of $200,000, he converted the SUV into a rolling film room. The car has two forward-facing full reclining seats, satellite TV, a 40-inch TV screen, a cooler, and Wi-Fi.
The SUV Philip Rivers rides from SD to LA ⚡️🔥 #Chargers (via @sdut) pic.twitter.com/r2dMmbkMiV
— ᴄʜʀɢᴇʀʜʏᴘᴇ (@ChargersHype) September 4, 2017
He acquired the car after the Chargers relocated to Los Angeles to enable him to watch game tapes when making the long and daily trip to practice from the family’s home in San Diego. His family lived in a $3.299 million house during his years with the team.
After he signed with the Colts, the family relocated to Florida to live permanently in a vacation home they bought in the state in 2015. Although he signed with the Indianapolis-based Colts, Rivers moved his family to the sunshine state to be closer to his parents.
He Spends on Charitable Causes Too
Outside of his material expenses, Philip Rivers has also spent his money on charity. From 2010 to 2012, Philip and Tiffany Rivers started and financed the Rivers Hope Foundation, a non-profit organization established to support foster kids. The foundation raised more than $1 million during its run, and the San Pascal Academy educational home for foster teenagers was a notable beneficiary.
Although their foundation is closed, he still contributes to causes like the Make A Wish Foundation and Ronald McDonald House of Charities. His work with the latter helped raise $104,999 for families and children suffering from life-threatening medical conditions. In 2019, he and his wife launched the Change the Game campaign to raise funds for treatment and awareness for Type 1 Diabetes.
In partnership with his wife’s swimwear brand, Hermoza, 100% of every purchase of a campaign-branded product or Hermoza item goes to individual diabetes charities.
