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USA Today

Philip Rivers strived toward two dreams as an Alabama youth: playing in the NFL and serving as a high school football coach like his father. The NC State product made his first dream a reality in 2004, when he entered the NFL with the Chargers and proceeded to play 17 seasons in the league. 

On Thursday Rivers, lived out his second dream, as he led the St. Michaels Catholic Cardinals to a 49-0 win in his high-school coaching debut. 

"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."

Rivers, 39, agreed to coach St. Michaels once his NFL playing days were over last year. Over his near two-decade career, Rivers passed for 63,440 and 421 touchdowns, both good for fifth best in league history. His 134 regular-season wins are the eighth most in NFL history. 

Though Rivers -- a former all-state quarterback under his father, Steve, at Athens High -- is happy to be back in his home state coaching ball, he hasn't closed the door on an NFL return. He said earlier in August that he's still working out in the event a team inquires about him during the 2021 NFL season. 

"I'm just going to stay ready," Rivers said. "I want to make sure I'm very clear: I'm not predicting I will play in December or January, for that matter. One, you've got to have somebody who wants you, and two, it's got to be right. But I have not completely ruled that out."