Philip Rivers has one of the most unorthodox throwing rhythms the NFL has ever seen and he's been widely successful using it despite the awkward mechanics. While he's considered an elite quarterback in today's league, he's never been able to call himself a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback due to the setbacks of the now Los Angeles Chargers. The 6'5 quarterback hailing from Decatur, Alabama played his collegiate football at North Carolina State University for four seasons (2000-2003). Rivers led the NC State Wolfpack to four consecutive bowl games, winning three out of the four. The ACC Athlete of the Year also shattered almost every NC State quarterback record the school coveted.
In the 2004 NFL Draft, Rivers was drafted 4th overall by the New York Giants but was traded to the then-San Diego Chargers for 1st overall pick, Eli Manning. Since draft day, Rivers has been a member of the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers leading the team to six playoff berths in fourteen seasons as a starter. Philip Rivers has signed two major extensions with the Chargers. The first in 2009, was a six-year contract worth $91.8 million and the second in 2015 for $83.2 million for four years worth of service. While reliable will Rivers ever be able to get over the hump? Only time will tell.
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."