Nick Cole

ncole@tennessean.com

For the first time since arriving on campus in June as a transfer from LSU, quarterback Stephen Rivers on Friday opened up about his decision to attend Vanderbilt.

It was a mix of opportunity, location and academics that led the younger brother of San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers to choose Vanderbilt over nearly 20 others during his search for a graduate school.

"A lot of things went into it," the 6-foot-7 Rivers said after the second day of fall camp. "I looked all across the United States for quarterbacks that graduated or had left (their program). This one looked great because it was close to home — that definitely played a part in it."

Rivers said he is roughly an hour and a half from home in Athens, Ala., a welcome change from the eight-hour drive he made from Baton Rouge, La., over the past three years.

Rivers, who graduated from LSU in May with an undergraduate degree in business, said another major factor was Vanderbilt's academic reputation.

Add it all together, and Rivers found what he considered to be the "perfect spot" for his final two years of football eligibility.

"They really reached out to us," Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason said of Rivers' family. "It was a situation where Stephen was looking for a home and was really unhappy with his situation there (LSU). Obviously I had talked about the quarterback situation being open during the spring, and they went about doing their due diligence to find somewhere that fit them. They went across the country. His brother (Philip) also reached out and really just wanted to get a gauge on what our feelings were about him."

Mason said the Rivers family also sought new Titans coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the offensive coordinator for the Chargers last season in addition to being a former Vanderbilt assistant, as a resource in the decision-making process.

"He helped me out a lot," Rivers said of his older brother. "He has a lot of connections. He thought this would be a great spot for me."

The younger Rivers enrolled in theological studies classes at the Vanderbilt Divinity School over the summer and finds himself right in the thick of a six-man race to be the starting quarterback.

"We had six quarterbacks at LSU, too," Rivers said. "It's hard to get everybody reps. That's one of the hard things about having this many quarterbacks, but we're dividing it up right now about as good as we can."

Rivers said he has spent the past two months on campus developing a rapport with the receivers, including work in 7-on-7 drills before the start of camp.

"They've been great welcoming me in," Rivers said. "I couldn't ask for a better group."

After two days of fall camp, Mason said Rivers' abilities as a quarterback are clear in spite of attempting just two passes over his three year career at LSU.

"He's got to shake some of that rust off and continue to move his feet and work to be fluid," Mason said. "But I like what he does under center."

Reach Nick Cole at 615-259-8010 and on Twitter @ncole6.