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Eric Williams
NFC West Writer
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Jim Harbaugh was in constant motion as he navigated his first full training camp practice for the Los Angeles Chargers this week.
A gold-strapped whistle bounced around his neck as he moved about, clad in Jordan 12 cleats, khakis and a powder blue Chargers polo. Harbaugh was in his happy place as he directed traffic in the middle of the field — telling players where to go for the next practice period.
“A little swag,” Harbaugh leaned over and told a coach when asked about his choice of footwear. “A little sugar on the flakes. Not too many.”
Things moved at a workmanlike pace as players moved through individual drills. Gone was the music and DJ that usually serve as background ambiance at most NFL training camps.
Harbaugh even picked up a stray mouth guard he found on the grass and delivered it to its owner on the defensive practice field, outside linebacker Ty Shelby.
Fresh off winning the national title with Michigan, Harbaugh and the Chargers have high expectations — including a goal of returning to the playoffs for just the second time in six seasons.
The Chargers are 57-58 with one playoff win since they moved to Los Angeles and have not finished atop the AFC West since 2009. But Harbaugh has a history of fast starts when he takes over a new program.
He took a 5-7 team at Michigan and churned out 10 wins his first year in Ann Arbor in 2015. And in San Francisco, he quickly flipped a 49ers squad that went 6-10 in 2010 into a 13-3 heavyweight in the NFC West in his first year in 2011.
Safety Derwin James, one of the longest tenured Chargers, sees the same thing happening with the Bolts this season, predicting that his team’s 5-12 finish last season will soon be a distant memory.
“I don’t even care about last year,” James said. “I’m so focused on the moment right now, the buzz we have on the team and everybody coming together. I’ve totally forgotten about last…
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Publish date : 2024-07-26 15:10:46
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