From Bolts to Colts: Five Facts about Philip Rivers

He is deadly serious about being a team-first teammate. In team spirit, he’s not a drain, he’s the faucet. The first mark of any professional performer, whether flamenco dancer or football player, is consistent energy: physical, mental, emotional, and dadgummit, force-of-will.

A teammate was asked about Rivers’ well-known trash-talking during the game. The player replied

"“Trash talking in-game? What about practices? You think his own teammates don’t get it in the ear? Constantly! He goads his own defense, he’s on his own receivers. You can’t take a play off.  You can’t miss one assignment. “"

But the context of trash-talking is teasing,  laughter, good-natured. He famously never cusses, and (this is largely not known) he never makes it personal. Phil is the same in the backyard playing with his family: teasing, not tormenting.

Phil loves to be with the guys, on the field, in the locker room, on the bus and plane.

In L.A., the first week quarterback Tyrod Taylor arrived, Rivers praised his backup.  Phil simply said, “He’s a pro.”.  That is the highest praise from Rivers, and it reveals a secret: Rivers doesn’t think all NFL players are pros at heart.  Just as Colts’ GM Chris Ballard observes that not all NFL players can aspire to be Colts.

So here’s another revelation: as a team-mate, as a spokesperson, as a community leader, Philip Rivers will be proven an excellent fit to the Colts’ culture and community.