ANN ARBOR, Mich. — There have been fall camps in the past where it was evident that Jim Harbaugh wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about his team. That’s not to say he wasn’t enthusiastic at all, but you could sense a bit of holding back on the team’s potential.
And then there’s this year.
Over the course of the past two seasons, Harbaugh went from hopeful, to effusive in his praise. This year, it’s obvious he feels like he has a special team that could go beyond even the last two special seasons.
He shared more on Tuesday, noting that the team’s focus is through the roof. What’s more, the demeanor is particularly notable.
“So, we’ve had a lot of people through,” Harbaugh said. “There’s been a lot of people, a lot of football people. We’ve had general managers come through, had scouts come through. One in particular who was in our meetings and practices, he said, ‘This is vibrant.’ So that’s my word. I can’t get that word out of my head. That just best describes the vibe, the mentality. It’s infectious, can’t help not picking up on that. And that was well-defined. It’s vibrant. When they take that from the meeting rooms, to the weight rooms, to the practice field, to the stadium, it’s — super-pleased.
“Also, a first to have the first scrimmage in the stadium be as good as it was. Every season I’ve coached, every season I was a part of as a player, go to that first scrimmage in the stadium. And it’s — guys forget. I forgot. I forgot coaching. As a player, just something about going to The Big House. Scrimmage — coaches yelling at everybody. That’s always been my experience. Was my experience as a player and even as a coach, just — freshmen forget everything they’ve been taught it.
“It wasn’t like that at all. It was the same vibrant energy, execution. And I even commented to the team afterwards, that it was — never seen anything quite like that. So it’s good. They’re further ahead. Further ahead. And that’s a credit to the coaches and the players themselves and their focus.”
Harbaugh says that he doesn’t have to keep the team focused. It’s not something that he’s been worried about this offseason.
He has a team that loves football and it’s evident in the way that they attack each day, as he would often say.
“Oh, it’s got to come from them, right?” Harbaugh said. “I mean, it’s got to from any individual. I’ve tried. I’ve tried to make guys love football, have enthusiasm, attack each day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind. Make them love football, everything in my power. And I’ve come to the realization that it’s got to come from the individual no matter how hard you try.
“There’s not a guy right now — I mean, the junior-senior class; junior, senior, fifth-year class that I could point to and say, that isn’t doing everything they should. I mean everything, taking any and every opportunity and trying to maximize it. And just being trusted agents and known friends. That’s how I looked (at it).”
As a result of the team having such strong leadership, Harbaugh has initiated a new award, though it may be simple. And it’s been a long time coming.
That Harbaughism, ‘attack each day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind,’ has been around since he arrived in Ann Arbor on Dec. 30, 2014, and though its waxed and waned in terms of its frequent use, Harbaugh has brought it back out of the closet — and he’s using it to indicate players who have exemplified the mental attitude necessary to lead this 2023 team to the promised land.
There are a handful of players who now get to wear the euphemism on their helmet via a new sticker, but there’s one player that Harbaugh says embodies his notion more than others.
“It’s to the point where, and I had to make a poster person for who I thought was the most, who really defined enthusiasm unknown to mankind,” Harbaugh said. “I looked at every player, every coach — even considered myself. And by the power vested in me, the head coach, the poster person for enthusiasm unknown to mankind for the 2023 year is Kris Jenkins. Made a nice little sticker, EUTM. It’s now on the helmet. And he’s not the only one who has it. We’ve given some others out. Blake Corum, J.J. McCarthy, Zack Marshall — even gave one to a freshman. And a few others got that initial award. But yeah, poster person is Kris Jenkins.
“So a lot of them. Captains, that’s coming. We’ll see. We’ll see what that vote yields. But there’s just so many, so many to choose from that lead and attack and love football.”
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