Jim Harbaugh’s first year with the Bears was Walter Payton’s last. Harbaugh was the No. 1 draft choice in 1987, the quarterback for a new era. Payton was the 1975 No. 1 draft choice on the way out of the old era.
“My first mini-camp, the first time I got in the huddle, he pulled my shorts down,” Harbaugh said. “I’m standing out there in nothing but a jock strap. I was kind of like, `Hey, Walter Payton pulled a prank on me. I feel kind of special.’ “
Harbaugh has experienced a lot of feelings since. Rejection is one he shares with fellow San Diego quarterbacks Erik Kramer and Moses Moreno.
“We have all the Bear rejects,” Harbaugh said.
Against the Bears Sunday, Harbaugh will be throwing to Jeff Graham and Chris Penn, two more Bear rejects. San Diego’s offensive coordinator is Geep Chryst, an ex-Bear assistant.
Harbaugh is a veteran at this. He started an exhibition game against Dave Wannstedt’s Bears for the Indianapolis Colts and was so excited after a Colts touchdown he felt his emotions overflow.
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“I did a fly-by of the bench,” Harbaugh said.
Last year, Harbaugh started against the Bears for the Baltimore Ravens and lost. This year, he claims Kramer or Moreno would get a bigger kick out of facing old teammates than he will, because he is so far removed from the Bear locker room that only Big Cat Williams and Barry Minter remain.
Frustration is another feeling Harbaugh has with the 4-5 Chargers. It spilled onto the field during last week’s loss to Oakland when Harbaugh did his best Mike Ditka imitation in the face of teammate Mike Dumas, a safety who said something Harbaugh didn’t appreciate.
“We were 4-1 at one time, so we definitely don’t feel good about ourselves,” Harbaugh said.
The Chargers are the worst running team in the league. Natrone Means has missed four games with injury and still leads the team with a measly 227 yards rushing. After handing off to Payton, Neal Anderson and Marshall Faulk, Harbaugh finds himself a play-action quarterback without anybody to fake to. Even Baltimore’s Priest Holmes gained 1,000 yards for him last season, but now, the Chargers are constantly scrambling from behind. They’ve been outscored 72-13 in first quarters.
“We haven’t helped our quarterbacks at all be as good as they can be,” said San Diego coach Mike Riley.
Harbaugh will be 36 in December and still feels passion for the game, without any illusions. The Chargers hoped the work ethic of Kramer and Harbaugh would influence Ryan Leaf, the quarterback who cost them their last two No. 1 draft choices, a No. 2 pick, and two players.
“These guys weren’t necessarily hired to bring him along, but through their example they can help show everybody what a good professional quarterback does in preparation for a season, for each day,” Riley said. “We don’t really know the results yet of what Ryan can glean from them because we’ve gotten off track recently with Ryan and we’re looking forward to his coming back with our team.”
Leaf is under suspension after getting into an argument with General Manager Bobby Beathard over rehab from his training-camp shoulder injury.
“Everybody in this organization really wants to help the kid,” Harbaugh said. “He’s getting as many chances as it takes.”
Harbaugh finds himself reflecting on Payton. He and Pittsburgh’s Mike Tomczak are the only two players still active who played with him.
“In the NFL, it doesn’t matter how much talent you have, you really have to work hard,” Harbaugh said. “That’s a lesson I learned from Walter and Mike Singletary.
“I’ve seen where the best players don’t always work the hardest and are selfish and that’s a bad formula because new guys don’t have the example. They think, `Well, he’s the best player and he’s making all this money and he’s not busting his rear end. Maybe that’s the way you’re supposed to do it.’ You never had that with guys like Walter Payton and Mike Singletary around.”
The Chargers have a player like that in Junior Seau.
“Without a doubt that guy is the hardest worker here,” Harbaugh said. “I get here an hour and a half before meetings. That’s about 6:30-6:45 a.m., and Junior Seau is already done with his workout. He’s walking out of the weight room when I’m walking in the door. And I’m getting here darn early.”
Some athletes get it and some don’t. It’s true of any era.
“You see guys with all the talent in the world who don’t think they have to do that and sure enough, they’re not around very long,” said Harbaugh as he nears the stretch run of his 13th season.