“After we lastly noticed it, we’re like, ‘Oh my God, that is actual,’” Tomlinson mentioned by cellphone this week. “That is one thing I’d by no means count on. … Studies like that come out on a regular basis, you already know, it is simply crap. You see it, you are identical to, that is humorous. Let me joke with (his son) Gunner about it. This time appeared completely different, and it actually got here into fruition.”
There have been different Rivers rumors over time, together with from the 49ers, who considered Rivers as their backup plan when Jimmy Garoppolo broke his foot in 2022. It simply by no means materialized.
Rivers’ son Gunner, by the way in which, is the group’s signal-caller and one of many prime QB prospects within the nation. He’s additionally, it appears, a horrible liar concerning household secrets and techniques.
“He positively tried to maintain it fairly near the chest,” Tomlinson mentioned. “However he is obtained a inform. His face will get all pink and he did not know the best way to deal with it. It was fairly humorous.”
Tomlinson and his teammates might be having a watch occasion at an area Mexican restaurant that folks rented out on Sunday, cheering on their coach. On the faculty, solely a few folks knew this was all a chance early on Monday, together with the co-athletics director Simon Cortopassi (additionally the soccer group’s defensive coordinator). Rivers really texted him earlier than he agreed to return to Indy, the place he performed in 2020.
“He simply mentioned, ‘I am going for it,’” Cortopassi mentioned. “He was like, ‘There’s just one method to discover out if you are able to do it, and that is to attempt it.’”
When Rivers realized he needed to work out for Indy, he wanted cleats. So he reached into his trophy case (actually) and grabbed his previous Reeboks from greater than 10 years in the past. Former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck had a cope with the shoe firm when he performed, Rivers appreciated them, and he had them ship him 50 pairs. It is all he wears.
Upon his first retirement, Rivers took over because the soccer coach of St. Michael Catholic in 2021, a college that had opened a number of years earlier in 2016 — a group that had misplaced 18 area video games. They gained their first regional sport his first yr, went 12-2 final yr after which 13-1 this previous season.
As he defined this week, Rivers can be the group’s play-caller, and he runs a well-known offense that he’ll see on Sunday.
“We actually run the very same scheme because the Colts,” Tomlinson mentioned. “We have now these train tapes — the best way to run routes in particular methods — they usually’re simply from Colts video games in earlier years.”
Actually, not solely has Colts head coach Shane Steichen consulted on the highschool’s performs and reviewed movie along with his good buddy Rivers, he additionally has visited Fairhope with then-starter Anthony Richardson as he was getting tutelage from Rivers.
On prime of serving to Richardson prepare, in the course of the pre-draft course of Rivers has labored with present NFL QBs Bo Nix, Drake Maye, Riley Leonard, Carter Bradley … and this week’s opponent, Sam Darnold.
Whereas the world is questioning what Rivers, a grandfather now, will seem like on the age of 44, his gamers have seen it. He lifts with them, runs sprints with them and has all the time stayed in form, regardless of questions on his weight this week.
He additionally has been throwing — rather a lot — throughout practices that mirror the Colts’ classes.
“We have now particular person drills to begin follow and we actually haven’t got many QBs on our roster aside from Gunner,” Tomlinson mentioned. “So you will see [Rivers and his son] over there they usually’re each doing footwork drills and throwing backwards and forwards. He was getting after it for certain. Clearly, he is obtained a discipline in his home with services, too.”
For Gunner and Rivers’ in depth household, this needs to be a cool expertise since they’re all a lot older and football-aware. And for the group, they’re soaking it up.
“Combining cellphone calls, texts, emails, we have most likely gotten 200-300 messages from media,” Cortopassi mentioned. “It has been loopy. However for all of us, it should be superior to observe.”
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