EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh is as famous for his proverbs as his coaching success. On the first day of training camp after ten years away from the NFL, Harbaugh compared the day to childbirth.
“It’s like New Year’s Day. It feels like being born. It feels like coming out of the womb,” he said. “You’re in there. It’s comfortable and safe, and now you’re out. You’re born. Lights are on, it’s bright, chaos, people looking at you, people talking at you, and it just feels good to have it happen.”
The childbirth analogy resonated with safety Derwin James, who said Harbaugh also made the comparison during a team meeting. While James said he’s never had a coach compare training camp to childbirth, he said the idea of “coming into the world” was fitting for the Chargers and this new team.
“He’s his own guy. We love him,” James said.
Quarterback Justin Herbert, who reluctantly is the only Chargers player to wear a Gold jersey at practice after Harbaugh demanded it for extra protection, didn’t jump on the childbirth-training camp train as James did.
“I’ll leave the analogies to him,” Herbert said with a smile. “He’s done a great job at creating those, so I’ll support whatever he says. We’re just out there playing football, and my job is to throw the ball, so that’s what I’m going to worry about.”
After not participating in the offseason program, running back Gus Edwards was on the field and in uniform on Monday. Still, he was limited to individual drills and didn’t participate in team activities. Harbaugh said that Edwards had an offseason surgery but didn’t specify where the surgery was. He also didn’t say when Edwards would be a full participant in practice, only that he is being given a “longer runway” to return.
Rookie linebacker Junior Colson, who the Chargers placed on the Non-Football Injury/Illness list last week, had surgery to have his appendix removed, Harbaugh said. Harbaugh didn’t give a timetable for Colson’s return.
“I don’t have my medical degree,” he said, “so we’ll just have to see.”