The Associated Press

MOBILE, Ala. - Philip Rivers is known as the one who got away - the quarterback who spurned Auburn and Alabama for North Carolina State. Rivers, who became one of the most prolific passers in NCAA history, finally will play in his home state again in today's Senior Bowl, a showcase for NFL prospects.

North Carolina State's Philip Rivers is a Senior Bowl South squad quarterback.

"People are saying, 'I can't believe Alabama and Auburn let you get out of here,' " said Rivers, emphasizing that N.C. State was always high on his list.

Rivers, who will play for the South, headlines a quarterback group that includes Virginia's Matt Schaub and Tulane's J.P. Losman.

Michigan's John Navarre, Washington's Cody Pickett and Bowling Green's Josh Harris will play for the North under the direction of Bengals coach Marvin Lewis and his staff.

Even though most are regarded as legitimate NFL prospects, the game will be missing the top two - Mississippi's Eli Manning declined an invitation, and Miami University's Ben Roethlisberger was a junior. Rivers and the others get their chance to impress the pro scouts.

"While it is somewhat of a comparison, I think they want to see you and what you can do," said Rivers, an Athens, Ala., native whose 13,484 career yards trail only BYU's Ty Detmer in the NCAA record books. "Those two guys are great players and will do well wherever they end up being taken. I don't necessarily get too caught up in all that."

Rivers wants to keep showing that his unorthodox, sidearm throwing motion isn't a liability.

"Throwing motion was the one thing that gets brought up most, and I think gradually each year the talk about that in a negative way has decreased," Rivers said.

"I don't think that's going to be as big a deal as it was once perceived to be. But if it comes up and the team that I end up wants to work on it, I'm going to be willing to do whatever it takes to keep on playing."

South coach Marty Schottenheimer of the San Diego Chargers was familiar with Rivers even before this week. Schottenheimer was on a hiatus from coaching at his Charlotte home during Rivers' freshman season, "and you read about him all the time during the fall in the local paper."

On the air

5 p.m., ESPN: Senior Bowl all-star college football game in Mobile, Ala.

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