Derwin James Praises Jim Harbaugh: 'He Would Die for Football. He Loves It That Much'

Los Angeles Chargers star Derwin James Jr. praised the leadership and guidance of head coach Jim Harbaugh with the team starting 5-3 to open the 2024 NFL season.

James described Harbaugh as "like a father away from home" in an interview with The MMQB's Albert Breer.

"Having a coach like that who's experienced, that's been to a Super Bowl, knows what it takes, won a national championship, he's serious about winning," the three-time Pro Bowler said. "Every day, you see it in his message and how his other coaches coach.

"When you got a leader like that leading, you see the team that we have, with the guys we have. You can see the team we're forming over here. Coach Harbaugh's around us to give us that chance."

James went on to say those outside of the Chargers "don't understand the quirkiness" with Harbaugh.

"That's how he's so successful," the veteran safety said. "You may look at him as quirky, but he really loves football. I've never met a coach that loves football as much as coach Harbaugh. He would die for football. He loves it that much."

From the moment Harbaugh was hired, the question wasn't so much about whether he could trigger an immediate improvement in Los Angeles.

The San Francisco 49ers won 13 games in his first year and were NFC champions the following season. Michigan posted back-to-back 10-win seasons in his first two years after combining for 12 victories in the last two seasons of predecessor Brady Hoke.

The concerns with the 60-year-old is that the "quirkiness," as James described it, might begin to wear on an NFL locker room over time. For all of the success the Niners enjoyed with him as the coach, that's exactly what happened in San Francisco.

Everything is copacetic in Southern California with the Chargers occupying a wild-card place in the AFC. Maybe Harbaugh has changed his demeanor enough to where there won't be a similar unraveling like there was with his 49ers tenure.