Philip Rivers is one of the most intense quarterbacks of this current generation. Whether he's on the field or the sidelines in the midst of the game, Rivers displays a fiery passion unlike any other quarterback playing today. His unorthodox sidearm throw and willingness to go for the deep bomb have contributed to his success in the NFL. The 6'5 quarterback, hailing from Decatur, Alabama played his collegiate ball at North Carolina State University from 2000 to 2003. In four seasons with the NC State Wolfpack, Rivers threw for a total of 13,484 yards and racked up 95 touchdowns tying for eighth in the school's history.
Philip Rivers' NFL career began with some controversy that resulted in him being picked 4th overall by the New York Giants in the 2004 NFL Draft and traded to the then-San Diego Chargers for Eli Manning who refused to suit up for the Chargers. Since the trade, Rivers has played his entire sixteen-season NFL career with the Chargers. After getting the starting quarterback position in 2006, Rivers has led the Chargers to six NFL postseasons. While the 8x NFL Pro Bowl selectee has led the Chargers to multiple playoff berths and thrown for over 55,000 yards, Rivers has yet to lead the team to Super Bowl keeping him from a higher ranking on our list.
When we think of inventors, the image that comes to mind is usually that of a frazzled scientist toiling away in a lab, not celebrities pulled from the pages of Us Weekly. However, a number of well-known public figures hold patents for various innovations. Some are related to the work that made them famous, while others are offshoots of hobbies or just a single great idea.
Part of guitar wizard Eddie Van Halen's signature sound was his two-handed tapping technique, but letting all ten fingers fly while simultaneously holding up the guitar's neck could get a bit tricky. Van Halen came up with a novel way to get around this problem, though; he invented a support (top) that could flip out of the back of his axe's body to raise and stabilize the fretboard so he could tap out searing songs like "Eruption." While Van Halen was obviously interested in improving his guitar work, the patent application he filed in 1985 notes that the device would work with any stringed instrument. Want to tap out a scorching mandolin solo? Find someone selling Eddie's device.
It’s probably not surprising that James Cameron—who designed a submersible to take him to the deepest known part of the ocean—will often invent technology to make his films if what he needs doesn’t exist. He holds a number of patents, including US Patent No. 4996938, “apparatus for propelling a user in an underwater environment,” that he and his brother, Michael, created to film The Abyss and patented in 1989. The device is basically an underwater dolly equipped with propellers that makes it easy for a camera operator to maneuver in the water—and allowed Cameron to capture the shots he wanted for the 1989 film, part of which was filmed in an abandoned nuclear reactor.
In 1987 Jamie Lee Curtis designed and patented a disposable diaper that included a waterproof pocket that held baby wipes. She hasn't profited from her idea yet, though, since she refuses to license the patent until diaper companies make biodegradable products.
You know him as a rock legend, but Neil Young also loves trains—so much that he owns a stake in a model train manufacturing company and has an extensive collection. He also holds seven patents related to model trains, including Patent No. US5441223, "Model train controller using electromagnetic field between track and ground."