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'I Can't Wait to See Coach Harbaugh' - Bengals Who Played at Michigan Talk About Facing Former Coach in LA

Jay Morrison

Michigan defensive lineman Kris Jenkins picks up the trophy to celebrate 34-13 win over Washington at the national championship game at NRG Stadium in Houston on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024.
Michigan defensive lineman Kris Jenkins picks up the trophy to celebrate 34-13 win over Washington at the national championship game at NRG Stadium in Houston on Monday, Jan. 8, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
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CINCINNATI – While Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor hasn’t spoken to Jim Harbaugh in more than 30 years, there are several others on the team who have much more recent interactions with the first-year Los Angeles Chargers head coach.

And at least two of them are thrilled to renew their acquaintances Sunday night when the Bengals face the Chargers at SoFi Stadium.

Five Bengals played for Harbaugh at the University of Michigan. And it would have been a sixth had Harbaugh gotten his way.

“He recruited me a little bit out of high school,” Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said. “Here's my thought process: He had just gotten the job at Michigan that January, after that season. I had been committed to Ohio State for five or six months at that point. So I think coach was trying to make a big splash, trying to flip the Ohio State quarterback.”

Had Harbaugh landed Burrow, he may not have had to wait until his ninth season with the Wolverines to win a national championship.

But Harbaugh did seal the deal with five other Bengals players, including rookie defensive tackle Kris Jenkins Jr., who was part of that 2023 national championship team.

“I was actually late the first time I ever met him,” Jenkins said of Harbaugh’s visit to meet his parents when Jenkins was a student at Our Lady of Good Council High School in Maryland.

“It wasn’t my fault. My Uber canceled on me,” Jenkins added. “He was at the house with my parents waiting on me. He was cool about it.”

When Harbaugh sat down in cornerback DJ Turner II’s living room, he might have impressed DJ Sr. more than this son.

“They got really close,” DJ II said. “From my recruitment all the way through my time there. They’re really, really tight. They talk on the phone all the time, like, not just about football. He could call him right now and coach Harbaugh would pick up.”

Three other members of the team also played for Harbaugh – running back Chris Evans, tight end Erick All Jr. and cornerback Dax Hill.

But all three are on season-ending Injured Reserve, so they won’t be making the trip to Los Angeles to catch up with Harbaugh.

But Turner and Jenkins will get the chance.

“I’m definitely excited to see coach Harbaugh,” Turner said.

“He means so much to me,” Jenkins said. “He really built my foundation as a man. They were able to instill in me that drive and that motivation, just taking a random high school boy from Maryland and helping turn him into a man that's ready to play NFL.”

Jenkins got to catch up with Harbaugh at the Combine and Michigan's pro day, and he talked about how cool it would be to play for him in the NFL. But the Bengals drafted him in the second round.

Both Jenkins and Turner also singled out coach Ben Herbert, the strength and conditioning coach at Michigan who holds the same position on Harbaugh’s staff in LA.

“He was probably the coach I got the closest to,” Turner said of Herbert. “But coach Harbaugh taught me so much of the things I still use to today. Be adaptable. And it doesn’t matter what’s going on around you, just lock in on your craft. Tomorrow’s schedule doesn’t matter. Lock in what you are doing right now.”

Both players said they are looking forward to embracing Harbaugh after the game rather than pregame.

“It doesn’t matter who it is I know on the other team, I prefer to catch up after the game,” Tuner said.

But what if Harbaugh approaches them prior to kickoff?

“I mean, I’ll probably say ‘Hi,’ to him before the game, but I ain’t showing him love,” Jenkins laughed.

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Jay Morrison
JAY MORRISON

Jay Morrison covers the Cincinnati Bengals for Bengals On SI. He has been writing about the NFL for nearly three decades. Combining a passion for stats and storytelling, Jay takes readers beyond the field for a unique look at the game and the people who play it. Prior to joining Bengals on SI, Jay covered the Cincinnati Bengals beat for The Athletic, the Dayton Daily News and Pro Football Network.