Brady not first QB to overshadow Rivers

Grant Lauderdale need not tell people that once upon a time he beat out Philip Rivers as starting quarterback for Athens (Ala.) High. The ever-prepared CBS play-by-play man Jim Nantz took care of that for him, telling the world during the Chargers playoff victory against the Ravens. Nantz and color man Tony Romo were talking about Rivers’ toughness, how he never misses games, how he played linebacker as a sophomore in high school. “He lost a chance to start (at QB) because of Grant Lauderdale,” Nantz said. “Grant, I know you just fell off your couch down in Birmingham, Alabama, but Phil’s over it now, OK?” Lauderdale intended to be on his couch watching the game at that moment, so it was a good guess on Nantz’s part, but he actually was elsewhere. Lauderdale had just returned from an out-oftown hunting trip and told his wife, Beth, the he was going to watch the Chargers game. During a phone interview from his office at Service First Bank in Birmingham, Grant repeated Beth’s response: “No, you’re not. You’re taking the kids to the park. See you in a couple of hours.” By the time Lauderdale checked his phone, he said, it “blew up with 50 or 60 calls. I assumed somebody passed away.” Someone on Twitter suggested that the Ravens bring Lauderdale to Baltimore to see if he can “out-throw Rivers again.” Lamar Jackson certainly couldn’t, but the challenge stiffens for Rivers and the Chargers this week. Tom Brady is 7-0 vs. Rivers. Lauderdale will be tuning into this one live. “Ever since the mention, I have a free pass to watch the Chargers,” Lauderdale said. “My wife’s had a lot of fun with it and so have I. People I don’t even know were calling the bank, making sure I had heard about it.” Rivers could not claim favoritism when Lauderdale beat him out. Steve Rivers, Philip’s dad, was the coach. Athens went 10-1, losing in the playoffs. “It was a rainy, cold night, one of those games you beat ’em 99 out of 100 times. Like the Alabama-Clemson game,” Lauderdale said, revealing his loyalty. He graduated from ‘Bama after spending a year playing baseball in junior college. “Everybody always asks me, ‘How did Alabama and Auburn miss on him?’ Auburn tried to get him as a tight end and Alabama didn’t recruit him at all,” Lauderdale said. Maybe it was the funky release, which didn’t seem to hinder him at North CarolinaState? “He’s always had that,” Lauderdale said. “It’s kind of a catapult, but realistically, he’s not getting the ball all the way up so it comes out a lot quicker. He always had a strong arm. I remember in warmups he could throw it 50, 60 yards in the air (as a sophomore). And his finger was almost all the way to the end of the ball.” Lauderdale agreed with a quote he read from one of the Athens High coaches who surmised that the unusual motion is the result of Rivers throwing a football as soon as he was old enough to walk, and it was the only way he could muster enough strength. “Mentally, he was always two steps ahead,” Lauderdale said. “His football knowledge, I’d put him up against anybody.” For obvious reasons, the Chargers are Lauderdale’s favorite team, “But I like the Patriots too. How do you not love Brady? Plus, they have (former Alabama linebacker) Dont’a Hightower, and Bill Belichick’s the best coach at any level.” Quite a statement from a ‘Bama fan. “Yeah, well, Nick Saban was his disciple,” Lauderdale said. He bemoans Birmingham not having an NFL team, but said he has enjoyed watching the Chargers’ success this year. But does he think they’ll win Sunday? Long pause. “It’s hard to bet against Brady,” he said. “He’s just such a proven winner, but I sure hope Philip gets his (Super Bowl) shot this year, and if not this year, maybe next year.”