Chargers News: Michigan Product Sheds Light On Jim Harbaugh's Uniquely Intense Prep

The new LA head coach's methods may not be for everyone.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Former Michigan defensive tackle Kris Jenkins, who played under Jim Harbaugh for the last four years before Harbaugh became the Los Angeles Chargers' head coach, opened up on the intense post-practice conditioning that Harbaugh led at Michigan.

While recalling a Harbaugh memory from Michigan, Jenkins brought up when Harbaugh initially came up with the idea to install this into their regiment to become the best.

"I got a good one for you – this is one I haven't really told anybody yet," Jenkins said, via 247Sports' John Talty. "Our implementation of our post-practice conditioning. We're known for having really long, really hard practices just to condition ourselves and get us ready for the long haul. I remember my sophomore year you could see how he thinks on the fly. He's the same person every single day so when he comes up with an idea, you can see that lightbulb go off. We're meeting together as a team and we all go our helmets on and taking a knee. He's like in order to be the best, we got to work harder than anybody else. We've got to work harder through the fourth quarter and overtime. And that's why today we're starting with fourth quarter and you can see everybody's like 'Oh snap.' From that day forward, we've been doing fourth quarter finishers, getting extra conditioning and that really helped us in the long run."

It's not uncommon to hear some of the best teams in different sports hold the toughest conditioning sets, and likely explains a key reason for Michigan's success. During their dynasty, the New England Patriots were known for having some of the most brutal conditioning, which ended up paying off as they regularly made successful comebacks in the fourth quarter when many other teams begin to tire out.

With Harbaugh bringing former Michigan strength coach Ben Herbert to the Chargers Executive Director of Player Performance, it would be unsurprising to see this tough regiment transfer to the Chargers. Given the Chargers have had some of the NFL's worst luck when it comes to brutal late-game losses, this kind of conditioning could prove vital for the team's ability to win late.

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