- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,200,290
- Reaction score
- 59
INDIANAPOLIS — The team Philip Rivers will lead next season was in Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.
Thirty or so St. Michael Catholic players made the trip from Fairhope, Ala., to Indianapolis, by plane or by car, in order to see the head coach of their high school football team start what might be his last game in the NFL.
It's an experience only a few high school kids are ever going to get.
“Yeah, it was awesome,” Rivers said. “A lot of them seniors that are graduating – some of them young players that I'll still have for the next couple years. So, that was special to have their support, and they came all the way up here. It's an 11-hour drive. You're only on one road, but it's a long way.”
Rivers led St. Michael Catholic to a 13-1 record in 2025, taking the Cardinals all the way to the state semifinal before finally bowing out of the playoffs.
A little more than a week later, Rivers was in Indianapolis, stepping into the gap for a Colts team that lost its top two quarterbacks to serious injuries.
The Cardinals have gotten plenty of screen time in the three weeks Rivers has started, watching the games together at Alabama restaurants with cameras there to record their excitement as their head coach played better than just about anybody expected after five seasons in the head coaching role.
Indianapolis has now been eliminated from the playoffs, and whether or not Rivers starts the season finale against Houston, he’ll soon be back in the hallways at St. Michael Catholic, setting his sights on the Cardinals’ 2026 season.
“I do look forward to getting back there with them,” Rivers said. “Certainly wish it was going to be later in the next month, or even February, but I look forward to getting back there with them, kind of getting back. I think it'll kind of hopefully carry – kind of rejuvenate the whole deal.”
Rivers’ words already carried a lot of weight in the St. Michael Catholic locker room.
Now, a whole new generation of players is being coached by a quarterback who played in the NFL during their high school careers.
“You've been there five years,” Rivers said. “We’ve had some good runs; hopefully, it kind of kick-starts us in the offseason, and we'll carry on how we've been down in Fairhope.”
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Philip Rivers thinks Colts stint will 'rejuvenate' high school team
Continue reading...
Thirty or so St. Michael Catholic players made the trip from Fairhope, Ala., to Indianapolis, by plane or by car, in order to see the head coach of their high school football team start what might be his last game in the NFL.
It's an experience only a few high school kids are ever going to get.
“Yeah, it was awesome,” Rivers said. “A lot of them seniors that are graduating – some of them young players that I'll still have for the next couple years. So, that was special to have their support, and they came all the way up here. It's an 11-hour drive. You're only on one road, but it's a long way.”
Rivers led St. Michael Catholic to a 13-1 record in 2025, taking the Cardinals all the way to the state semifinal before finally bowing out of the playoffs.
A little more than a week later, Rivers was in Indianapolis, stepping into the gap for a Colts team that lost its top two quarterbacks to serious injuries.
The Cardinals have gotten plenty of screen time in the three weeks Rivers has started, watching the games together at Alabama restaurants with cameras there to record their excitement as their head coach played better than just about anybody expected after five seasons in the head coaching role.
Indianapolis has now been eliminated from the playoffs, and whether or not Rivers starts the season finale against Houston, he’ll soon be back in the hallways at St. Michael Catholic, setting his sights on the Cardinals’ 2026 season.
“I do look forward to getting back there with them,” Rivers said. “Certainly wish it was going to be later in the next month, or even February, but I look forward to getting back there with them, kind of getting back. I think it'll kind of hopefully carry – kind of rejuvenate the whole deal.”
Rivers’ words already carried a lot of weight in the St. Michael Catholic locker room.
Now, a whole new generation of players is being coached by a quarterback who played in the NFL during their high school careers.
“You've been there five years,” Rivers said. “We’ve had some good runs; hopefully, it kind of kick-starts us in the offseason, and we'll carry on how we've been down in Fairhope.”
Joel A. Erickson and Nathan Brown cover the Colts all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Colts Insider newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Philip Rivers thinks Colts stint will 'rejuvenate' high school team
Continue reading...
