Jim Harbaugh's unique tactic motivating Chargers players

Chris Roling | Oct 20, 2024

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Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh is a football guy, as evidenced by his super-viral quotes after his health scare.

It’s also evidenced in his impressive resume wherever he goes and his relationships with players.

Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times just pulled back the proverbial curtain on what makes some of that work for Harbaugh.

According to Farmer, Harbaugh has installed each Chargers player’s locker with their star rank as a high-schooler.

“Everybody had a different path to get here,” Harbaugh said, according to Farmer. “They took their own circumstances and turned them into a success.”

This is a new thing for the Chargers, courtesy of Harbaugh. And one has to think it has a pretty big impact on the locker room. Superstar franchise quarterback Justin Herbert, after all, was merely a 3-star recruit out of Sheldon High in Eugene, Ore.

When even a “NR” (no rating) player in the Chargers locker room sees that, it probably serves as pretty good motivation. It's also a way to help players bond.

This is a little footnote in the grand scheme of things. But for the Chargers, it’s just one small piece of the Harbaugh puzzle that they hope elevates the Herbert-led roster to where they want to be as contenders.

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