"Chargers players on Friday morning learned who they had voted as their team award winners.

For the fourth straight season, quarterback Philip Rivers was named by his teammates as the Most Valuable Player, a nod to his importance to their success and his perseverance in what was his worst statistical season.

Perhaps the most interesting, though, was the selection of Mike Tolbert as the Special Teams Player of the Year. Tolbert was named the team's Offensive Player of the Year in 2010.

"I'm loving it," said Tolbert, who in one game this year scored a touchdown and then made the tackle on a kickoff. "It shows the respect my teammates have for me. I enjoy playing football, whatever it is.""