Overheard at NFL combine: Harbaugh haircut, a ‘household name’, Michigan-Ohio State

The NFL Scouting Combine is underway in Indianapolis, and linebackers and defensive linemen were the first position groups to speak with media during the week-long event.

Michigan has a record 18 players at this year’s combine, and a handful of them took the podium Wednesday in Indianapolis. Not surprisingly, their former head coach, Jim Harbaugh, was a popular topic after he accepted the Los Angeles Chargers coaching job last month.

With defensive line being a position of need for the Detroit Lions, there’s a chance they could use their first, No. 29 overall, to bolster their front.

Overall, dozens of players spoke to reporters Wednesday, with notable quotes highlighted below. Linebackers and defensive linemen will participate in drills Thursday, while tight ends and defensive backs will speak to media.

Michigan edge Braiden McGregor on Harbaugh asking his mom for a haircut at a home visit during his senior year of high school: “It was funny. I don’t think a lot of people have stories like that. My mom, I know she was nervous because, I mean, it’s Coach Harbaugh. He is gonna be on TV the next week. She was excited. He still asked me about it every once and a while, like, ‘Your mom still cut?’ It was just funny. Made me feel like I made the right decision out of high school to go there.”

Penn State edge Chop Robinson, a potential first-round pick, on origins of his name: “I have a household name. It’s actually ‘Plump.’ But outside of there, it’s ‘Chop.’ … I was 14 pounds when I was born, and my mom nicknamed me ‘Pork Chop.’ Then once I got older and started to slim down, and couldn’t have people calling me ‘Pork Chop.’ So I just shortened it to ‘Chop.’”

Missouri DL Darius Robinson, a Southfield native and potential first-round option for the Lions, on meeting with Detroit: “My heart was bumping, man. I’m telling you, it was like a dream just to see all the names (and) faces, growing up a Lions fan. That was a great interview.”

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Michigan LB Michael Barrett on funny Harbaugh story: “When he was recruiting me, he came on an official visit to my home. My mom had bought pizza. I think it was like three boxes we had, and he ate a whole entire box while he was there. He was like, ‘I’ve been flying all over the place and I’m kind of hungry.’ That’s the first thing that came to my mind. It’s just says all the stories he has, just random little small things he give on a day to day basis.”

Ohio State LB Tommy Eichenberg on losing to Michigan three times: “I felt like I let down so many people. I mean, especially being a captain, too. That’s a standard is winning that game. It’s very hard for me. But you gotta keep moving forward. They got good. Like, they’re good. They’re a good team. I know from now on the Buckeyes will be good.”

Western Michigan DL Marshawn Kneeland on who he sees himself in: “Just somebody that I’ve noticed that plays a lot like how I play is Aidan Hutchinson. His high motor, high effort. He’s always running to the ball. I looked at the times; some of his times are a little faster than mine, and some of mine are a little faster than his. But I think I’m close to him.”

Michigan LB Junior Colson, who was adopted from Haiti in 2010, on when the NFL became a possibility for him: “Ever since I stepped onto the football field. I always wanted to be the best. Whatever you put your name to, whenever you lay down, you always want to try and be the best at it. Or why try and do it at all?”

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Ohio State LB Steele Chambers on the four animals he’d take to war with him: “I typically go with the elephant. I’m going to mount that — I’m going have a sword with me, so I’m going to be on top of the elephant with that. I’ll have a polar bear or grizzly bear; whatever I’m feeling depending on the climate. I’ll probably go tiger — it’s probably the biggest, fastest big cat. And then I gotta go hippo — just because it’s tenacious.”

Bills GM Brandon Beane on 2018 trade, when the team sent the No. 12 overall pick and two second-rounders to move up to No. 7 and draft QB Josh Allen: “We got criticized for how much we gave up for Josh. And I’m like, if he doesn’t work out, I’m not going to be here anyway. And if he does work out, nobody’s gonna give a (expletive).”

Washington edge Bralen Trice, a top-75 draft prospect, on his dog mentality: “I think it goes hand-in-hand with the killer mentality. Attacking everything you do, you line up on the line and look at the guy across from you, and you’re thinking, ‘I’m putting this guy in the dirt, immediately.’ It’s just showing up every day and giving everything you got, regardless of the situation. Leaving everything outside the door when you walk in, thinking only football. Putting all the fear out, that’s the dog mentality. What plays into that, at UW, a huge part of it is just brotherhood when you’re playing next to the guys who you work with every single day. It’s just I go back to that every single time.”

MLive’s Kyle Meinke, Ben Raven and Aaron McMann contributed to this story.