Jim Harbaugh is one of the most enigmatic figures in the NFL. The Bolts HC often uses quirky analogies to convey his point, frequently cracking people up. Before making a name in coaching, the 60-year-old was a competent quarterback, starting for several franchises. When asked by a Chargers player what kind of QB he was, Harbaugh described his game using a combination of Brady and Lamar.
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The Charger account posted a video of a training camp interaction between Harbaugh and Joshua Palmer. During their conversation, Jim described himself as a jack of all trades, stating that his game was somewhere between Tom and Lamar.
He asserted that his passing game wasn’t anywhere near Brady while his running game also lacked the finesse of Jackson. Yet, Harbaugh was still a mobile QB, as evidenced by his career rushing yards which are more than the 2-sport athlete, Bo Jackson.
The former Wolverines coach felt that there must be some highlight reel of his time as a player. Then, in his usual fashion, Harbaugh ended the conversation with a bit of banter, urging Palmer to play as long as he can, followed by coaching until death.
“Probably right in the middle of two of those. I couldn’t throw as good as Tom and couldn’t run as good as Lamar. But I was a pretty mobile QB. I have more rushing yards than Bo Jackson.”
show us the tape, coach pic.twitter.com/cLMFllPddf
— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) August 4, 2024
Jim Harbaugh had a modest 15-year career in the NFL as a quarterback, suiting up for five different franchises. He played 177 games, starting 140, and threw for over 26,000 yards, with 129 touchdowns and 117 interceptions. Additionally, he rushed for 2,787 yards and contributed 18 touchdowns on the ground.
Harbaugh was destined to become a coach, as coaching runs in his blood. Even before retiring from the NFL, he started working as an offensive consultant for his father at Western Kentucky, scouting high school students.
This experience led to a quarterback coaching job with the Raiders under Bill Callahan. However, instead of continuing in the NFL, Harbaugh took a different path, joining USD and then Stanford.
His successful stint at Stanford earned him his first head coaching job in the NFL with the 49ers. During his four-year tenure, Harbaugh transformed a team that hadn’t made the playoffs since 2002, leading them to three successive NFC Title Games and a Super Bowl appearance.
After parting ways with the 49ers, Harbaugh returned to his alma mater, the University of Michigan, where he stayed for nine seasons and ended his tenure with a National Championship. Now, he’s back with the Chargers, one of the franchises he played for towards the end of his career.
Though he’s in LA now, Harbaugh still maintains friendships in the Bay Area and recently took a trip to Ohio with some of those friends.
Former 49ers Hop on Private Jet with Harbaugh to Canton
Patrick Willis, who spent most of his career playing under Harbaugh in San Francisco, finally received his gold jacket. The former 49ers linebacker was inducted into the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, with his old coach present for the honor.
Harbaugh wasn’t alone on this special trip. He boarded a private plane with Willis’s former teammate, NaVorro Bowman, as well as former 49ers tight end Delanie Walker, center Jonathan Goodwin, and fullback Will Tukuafu. It appears that Harbaugh, now the head coach of the Chargers, organized and funded this trip to Ohio.
The Bolts would hope that he can replicate what he did with the 49ers, reviving the career of Alex Smith and turning Colin Kaepernick into an efficient dual-threat QB. The franchise hasn’t made an AFC Championship game since 2007, although the fans are confident that Harbaugh will change that.
