The Chargers may have moved from San Diego to Los Angeles, but quarterback Philip Rivers still lives in San Diego. So, to make-up for all the lost time spent in commute between the two cities, Rivers created a “rolling film room,” so he could study film while sitting in traffic.
Rivers refused to uproot his whole family just because his team switched cities, but the two-hour drive one way was enough to potentially make him miss out on important aspects of his job as the Chargers’ quarterback, Pro Football Talk reported.
After a few attempts to make the drive with backup quarterback Kellen Clemens, the two hurlers realized that they were just losing too many hours in the day for practice and team activities.
Then they came up with a novel solution.
The six-time Pro Bowl player customized an SUV with a 40 inch widescreen TV, Wi-Fi, and a satellite dish. So the pair can use the time to watch the game films they would be watching at practice, instead of just sitting there wasting time in the car.
The vehicle cost an estimated $200,000 plus the salary of the driver.
“My two biggest things were my family time and my preparation and what I owe this football team,” Rivers said according to NBC’s Pro Football Talk. “I was not going to sacrifice either of them in any big proportion. I can look at all the pluses and minuses and say, ‘OK. This does it.’ This allows me to get home in the 6 to 7 hour, which is when I got home the last 11 years, and it allows me to watch all or more of the film I watched before.”
Rivers has pronounced the solution to be just what they needed. He even joked that the set up made the “best QB room I’ve ever been in.”
The Chargers may be happy that Rivers found a way to make his commute work for his family as well as the team. Many analysts expect the team to make the playoffs, and, of course, the expectations find them dreaming of the Super Bowl. However, they’ll need their top man in top shape as the season kicks off if they hope to fulfill that dream.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.