Jim Harbaugh On 2024 Minicamp Day 1 | LA Chargers

LA Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh speaks to the media at his press conference on Day 1 of 2024 minicamp. He discusses his impressions of quarterback Justin Herbert and his conditioning since the start of the offseason program, the leadership of safety Derwin James Jr., and his takeaways from the beginning of his first season as the Bolts’ head coach. He also reveals the origins of his 13-hole golf tournament, which came from his and Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh’s childhood in Ann Arbor.

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so Jim just overall how do you feel like otaa went heading into into mini camp um so far so good uh been been really encouraged with um with the training environment the uh meetings practices the uh attendances the attendance um just the the effort um been some like the first coat of paint you know second coat of paint uh I maybe we’re at the third or fourth quarter paint right now you know just uh feels good getting it feels good that we’re getting better at football what you to get out of this week before you guys have that long break before trading Camp yeah just another another coat of paint you know another uh another good week of of football um just taking advantage of every every minute every hour you know every every day we have a chance to get better at football and uh um that’s that’s really the entirety of it um and then the guys are going to get some much needed uh recovery uh get themselves their the you know the family time I’m sure sure they’ll continue to train um but uh you know get you know get uh regrouped refreshed you know ready for training camp Jim right now how how good of a sense of this team do you have or will it be more into training camp and pads and when you have a real a better idea or do you feel like right now you have a pretty good grasp of how good this team can be yeah I’d say um I’d say both are right um you know think they have a pretty good grasp um you know of what uh what can be seen now in in the off season but there’s definitely positions and that require you know the pads to be on to uh to really have a true sense you talked a lot when you first got here about your excitement level of working with Justin Herbert what has that been like now that you’ve had some time to work with him and has there been anything that surprised you or has he kind of been as advertised it’s been incredible um you know I think it’s probably the reaction every everybody has you know he’s he’s um but from my standpoint it’s I knew he was really good uh but yeah you know when you’re right up you know next to watching you know you know I mean where you can you know feel the way uh you know the ball comes out of his hand I mean it comes out a lot it’s it’s going a lot faster than you think you know then it looks on tape uh you know he’s bigger you know uh taller than than you think watching TV um just you know every every kind of sense smart um you know beyond uh you know it’s just incredible the way he picks things up Masters things um you know every every every every detail every every small detail um the uh conditioning test was was another eye opener it’s like Bo just when you think he can’t go another rung on the ladder of my esteem anyway I mean he finds another one he smashed the conditioning test last Thursday I mean crushed it like out in front of you know people trying to keep up with them um to the point I mean the athleticism and the strength really I mean he could play tight end here he could play Edge rusher here uh an he can really and the arm Talent is even better than advertised um it’s ex exciting thing I mean I found myself you just sitting at my desk at times and going we he’s on our team you know and you know it’s not just in shorts you know cuz uh have seen him do this and 11 on 11 NFL padded you know football games have when you have your franchise quarterback crush a conditioning test like that how much does it kind of show to the rest of the group leadership and being a team leader and everything yeah there’s been so many guys that have have have stepped up into that role of uh uh example Setter tone Setter um you know here every day uh every meeting every way weight room session every practice engaged I mean every day every hour every minute you know nobody more than than uh Derwin James and Justin Herbert uh those two um those two have been really off the charts and and incredible uh and set the tone and been leaders by Example The the entire offseason Justin is there a moment from this spring that got you most excited whether that’s on the field in the classroom boy that that would be a long list I don’t have that list in front of me right now but um it’s it’s it’s yeah it’s just a bunch you know it’s just uh I mean numerous throws of course um you know the the Smashing the conditioning test I mean just like Child’s Play you know like um the the way he’s picked up the system you know the Cadence the the the motion landmarks um you know every the protections you know his knowledge of of protection yeah I could point to a bunch of examples where he you know changed the protection picked up the blitz knew the blitz was coming made this incredible throw or that um well if I had to say the top of the list would be uh you know just the way he elevates teammates um I mean he lifts him he lifts them up you know kind of makes himself smaller and them bigger you know as opposed to the guy that pushes the others down and you know look at me that uh that’s seen numerous ones of those I think right now that probably top the list even though there’s there’s some there’s some other ones too that are but there’s never any Shameless self-promotion I mean he just uh he’s just been willing to do anything and everything for the team I was going to say how cold is he is he like he just wants to learn more is he got that passion for being a student of the game uh yeah there there’s there’s there’s no question uh about it I mean he always uh has has the right I mean I would say questions but it’s the right answers too I mean it’s probably probably more so the right answer hey what do you think of this uh you know he’s you know he’s he’s got that he’s got that ability too it’s it’s uh you know he’s he he is he’s an expert at football you wish him picking up the theme this is I think third tee in a couple years how impressive have that been just from a mental standpoint yeah I think that’s impressed everybody you know um you know we all all had had an understanding pretty much of what his uh you know mental capabilities are he’s a he’s a sharp razor sharp you know um intelligent person but uh the it’s also diligence it’s study it’s uh um and it’s feedback I mean there’s nobody nobody in this organization who played quarterback at the the high level that he has um so like I said you know that you know there’s an expertise there that’s been extremely valuable uh being around Justin you know seeing his mental attitude you talk about some of the throws that he’s made in practice how has that getting to know him better on on a personal level as a player as a person informed how you guys have gone about building the offense and molding the the vision for the offense yeah from day one that’s been um know we want this you want want what you know how do you see this judgment you like it this way or this way you know um you know what do you like what do you input you know overc Communications been that way since for since day one the gold jersey for for Justin was that something you implemented or or chose yeah he did not want that he did he didn’t um and and I and I I get that I understand that um you know as a I was a quarterback uh I didn’t like wearing a different color jersey um than anybody else on the team uh um so I understand that that’s not you know ideal U for Justin um as it wouldn’t have been for me but um you know the quarterback um we we try to have a you know two yard uh halo around him you know so uh when we’re in the off season and these these kind of practices um you know stay with from the quarterback and the gold jersey is just a reminder yeah two yards for all the quarterbacks but the guy wearing the gold jersey let’s make that two and a half or or three and it’s kind of kind of the no just like the I mean sometimes you got hey neither neither neither decision’s ideal you know but I’m going to take the lesser of the two you know worst worst case scenarios there and um but it it happens you know I mean you got to you got to take that that that real worst thing that could happen you there could be uh you know young defensive lineman that’s you know thinking they’re making the team by uh you know B by uh beating a pass rush and getting too close to the quarterback you know could come from a a young lineman that’s you know backed up too far into the to the quarterback or a running back that know doesn’t step up in protection so we’re just trying to our ultimate goal let him complete a throwing motion he didn’t wear them for the for the last couple ones right the the gold D yeah he’s kind of he’s kind of uh he’s kind of I Justin he’s kind of rigged the system a little bit um so I go and we do the T-shirt jerseys uh on the odd days and then we do the game jerseys and the football pants on the even days so uh there wasn’t there wasn’t a must not have been a gold t-shirt shirt made uh oversight there Commander’s oversight uh we’ll get that we’ll get that fixed but uh yeah when it’s been the Jersey he’s he’s worn the gold jersey typically just with the jerseys typically you have all the quarterbacks wear a different color so is there something even further with the gold jersey that like hey this isn’t a backup either like why not have all the quarterbacks I guess wear different different colors yeah that was a good question that’s a great question and it uh you know came my like I said I mean I would really want to put any quarterback in a different color jersey than anybody else and all the quarterbacks you know uh you know we’re going to stay two two yards away from them create a halo around them um but with the guy who’s wearing the gold jersey make it two and a half three that’s yeah there’s there’s a difference competiveness what have you what have you what have you seen from his competitiveness whether it was last week at the golf course or or here and during in the film room or out on the field yeah it’s uh you know it’s it’s it’s at the highest level could you share some uh light into the 13 hole golf tournament that you like where did that from yeah the Harbaugh and then like what did you what did you maybe learn from your team like during that experience um 13 holes of scramble golf that uh it was just a scramble that you play as a team just like best ball and everything and I had a great group uh uh the guys from Hyundai were great I drive a Hyundai it was cool to be talking uh talking cars with them and and football um we had our chances we uh we didn’t get the we didn’t make the top five or anything but uh and then after that it goes to individual play so uh your 14th hole whatever who is whatever hole you’re on your 14th hole you’re playing your own ball and the criteria to it becomes playoffs so double bogey or better you get to move on to the 15th hole bogey are better you move on to the 16th hole par are better you move on to the 17th and Par better on the 17th hole you go to the finals um and there’s a there’s a one hole playoff for anybody that’s made it through those tiers did that have something to do with your childhood or something something like how you it did it did um yeah to me and my brother John golf has always really been a 12 hole 13 hole game we um we didn’t grow up in a country club so uh we We snuck on a lot of golf courses I hope that didn’t give me trouble now but uh especially back in in Ann Arbor the Michigan Golf Course Georgetown uh golf course and you couldn’t you couldn’t you couldn’t tee off the first hole you couldn’t play the first hole um because it was too close to the clubhouse or the starter and then the second hole uh you could see the t- box from the second hole is a par three and you could really see the third T box from uh from where the starter was so he kind of had to get on the fifth hole or the fourth hole and then you could never play the 18th hole 17th hole and most of the time not the 16th hole so uh we just got used to golf being 12 13 holes you watch you follow the game professionally Sheffer and what he’s oh it’s amazing I it’s uh yeah if I have if I have a Sunday off that’s what I I like to do sit there and uh yeah sometimes take a little nap but uh you know definitely uh definitely love watching the the guys compete went to uh have had the opportunity to go to the some tournaments been to Augusta my daughter Addie and son jack we went to Augusta 2023 uh 2020 not 23 no 2022 we went there um it was great went to all four days you know 8:00 am to 8:00 pm we had our had our green chairs and S Darner went to every hole yeah we’re big fans coach is there any benefit with in training camp there’s going to be five teams having training camps here in the Greater Los Angeles area in terms of joint practices and teams not playing their starters in preseason games and using that more is that a benefit for you yeah we’re going we’re um I think it will be we’re we’re uh I think we’re I mean I don’t know if any contracts have been signed or there needs to be but we’ve we’ve had those uh had those discussions and and looking forward to the opportunity of that coach what do you obviously you love doing this you love coaching what is your favorite thing about this time of year is it building relationships is it seeing what the team’s going to be what’s your favorite part about this new process of being in place yeah that’s that’s a great question I mean uh probably all those things you you know you just remember you mentioned I mean uh you know relationships the uh the Rapport you know that’s that’s built on a team um you know there’s a there’s a tremendous thing about just getting just getting why are we here get better to get better at football you know and to uh you know watch that process go on every day I mean guys the way they’re training I mean keep performance indicators you know watching watching those improve on a weekly weekly basis um combing through the system you know really the um both offense defense special teams you know really uh fine-tuning and detailing that out um you know just a just a opportunity for a day in football you know and uh you know got Health in one day we could uh you know chance to be better today than we were yesterday you know be better tomorrow than we were to day that’s the most exciting thing the offensive line obviously have a better idea in training camp once the pads come on but what your assessment of sort of where that group is at right now um you know really good um I think it’s on track to be you know top tier offensive line in the NFL um and yeah ran uh Zion Bradley Boseman uh probably right now Trey Pikman Pipkin uh and Joe Al I mean those those five have really separated themselves and um and I think that’s a you know backup you know the fifth uh the sixth seventh eighth ninth uh offensive lineman you know about require pads to to uh you know sort sort those out because they’ll be close but it’s going to be you know real I think it has a top chance to be a really top tier offensive line and they just doing everything right um you can really see the coaching I see this with the defense too I mean you see the coaching you see the guys buying in to what we’re doing on defense um because you see it through the technique uh when you watch the tape I see the same thing in the offens of line um so that’s that’d be our top tier and then uh we’ll there’ll be some positions you know specific you know to the depth chart that’ll get sorted out in came would try the moveing side is something new for him so what has he shown you moving from from right tackle to to Right Guard so far extremely capable you know um of doing it and he he’s a he’s a he’s an outstanding player he’s an outstanding tackle uh and he’s and he’s an outstanding guard I he’s um you know the idea of our getting to our best five at all times you know and and playing that it may may shake out and um you know what the what the rotation is or but you just you need you need five really good ones uh five best you have you know playing as playing as one I mean you know pretty much every team we play I mean they have they have really good Edge rushers on both sides you know they have they have interior rushers that are good on both sides so uh you know that uh not having a weak link you know is is critical um and I think we’re we’re trending to to really having a you know top to bottom outstanding offensive line what were the discussions like as far as moving into to Right Guard was that something way early in the process you saw filmwise even while scouting Joe as far as Draft plans that you can move them inside pretty much every offensive lineman uh you know has has that versatility um you know guard tackle right left um you know some some don’t have the versatility to snap you know some do um so um you know there’s yeah I I don’t think that’s a a rare uncommon thing you know especially for you know how athletic and and good Trey pipkins is do you expect full attendance today um yeah I mean I would uh I would anticipate it um anyone you know is be able to be here oh um no I it’s nothing I’ve uh I’ve really focused on or you know at all throughout the offseason and it’s it’s we’ve had we’ve had perfect attendance you know we’ve had near perfect attendance um and and we’ve had some guys working through something you know that that happens on a on a given day uh but they I mean they’re training hard too um and I think we’re really training trending toward having a a um you know our best and healthiest team going into training camp which was the goal which was the original stated goal of of uh offseason OTAs mini camps you know get our get our healthiest and best team to training camp and uh you know happy to say we’re we’re turning the that direction we saw we saw Junior U leave a practice we haven’t talked to you since then he hadn’t really been in team drills was he dealing with with something physically yeah yeah he was working through something just back back now back now and then um Donald FM yeah through something details trying real I mean it’s getting getting pretty close was the nature of the um just working through something let’s just let’s just go with that like I try not to step into the Hippa Hippa uh you know gray area so that’ll be our probably communication going forward guys working through something I’ll tell you if it’s like long term or something I’m sure uh Jim as far as keeping Joey and and Kalo just now that you’ve gotten to work with them yeah what what’s been your experience getting to be two veteran Edge rushers like them um you know the whole the the um as I said that the defense is really really coming together I mean if it’s noticed it day after day uh you know it’s been a real real bright spot I mean um the way they bought in the way they’re the way they’re playing I mean the mix of veterans and and young players uh I mean we’ve I definitely think we got a starting you know 1113 you know I would call it on on defense right now um and you can see it through the technique uh and the way they’re communicating um you know the way they’re playing is been been outstanding Joey kle you know especially um Tuli bud great additions um DP has been uh has been been great our defensive line um didn’t know where that was exactly you know when I first got here but it’s a strength it’s a strength for us um really excited about it and uh I don’t think any team has two better safeties and uh you know we have we have two really great safeties um and we’ll you know who the Fifth Fifth is who the sixth is I mean still to still to be determined but uh you know right now um got to get the pads on to to kind of square out some of those battles you know figure some of those out but uh hope hope that answered the question they’re they’re they’re Dynamite uh Joey and and K and and tuling butter really good too you know it’s uh it’s uh F fantastic to have you know that edge but I’m really excited about our interior defensive line it’s good Puna Scotty um so it’s really good morgan Fox Tito I mean it’s it’s coming together really nice going going in offseason program did you have any expectations of where you would be at this point is it on schedule ahead of schedule yeah you know my expectations and I’m glad you asked that question I mean they’re they’re high you know like um I think if you don’t like high expectations then you probably don’t like to compete um but the expectations are you know to have a to make it a great day you know um my mood will always depend on how the football practice went um and I’ve been in a good mood uh so that’s the expectation of the day you know make it a great day and um you know it’s got a lot of excitement today we’re going down to Camp Pendleton that’s going to be uh going to be tremendous you know honoring the honor and courage and commitment of the Marines I mean guys that are they’re Heroes they don’t and they don’t get a day off um and also excited about the you know the kids that live on the base uh we’re doing a play 60 there today it it sold out or I don’t know signed the sign up list you know was full in about two minutes I was told um I’m excited Morgan Fox mentioned him uh he lived on a base growing up uh in Colorado and and overseas in Germany um he does does so much much he’s got a camp next week um and does does so much for wounded warriors uh you know excited to watch that interaction um you know warriors on the battlefield meet warriors on the grid iron um so that’s yeah excited for an incredible day today