Star NFL quarterback Philip Rivers sometimes gets sneered at for his devout Christian faith, but that isn’t stopping him from using old-timey values to plan for his post-playing-days career. Today’s NFL may market itself with hypersexualized glitz and glamour, but Rivers is a throwback to the days of upstanding citizens such as his fellow native Alabamian, Hall of Famer Bart Starr.

Rivers, who for 16 years has racked up lofty statistics for the San Diego/Los Angeles Chargers before signing with the Indianapolis Colts this offseason, is nearing retirement. By now, the template for retiring NFL stars is familiar: They become high-paid game announcers, TV ad pitchmen, NFL assistant coaches, or big-money investors in high-profile businesses. Not Rivers. He’s going small-ball.