Derwin James Jr. has never met a coach who didn’t love football. Everyone in the National Football League is very passionate about the game.

However, when James met his new head coach Jim Harbaugh, he saw the passion and love for the game on another level.

What exactly is this level?

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Los Angeles Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh instructs players on the field on the first day of training camp at The Bolt. (Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports)

“He would literally die on the football field and be happy. As crazy as that sounds, that’s how much he’s into it,” James told Fox News Digital when asked what his impression of Coach Harbaugh was as he entered his first season with the Chargers.

James went into more detail about what he has seen from Harbaugh, from offseason workouts to today’s training camp.

“You see it every day in his habits,” he explained. “Every coach (on the team) has the same message. He’s been great to have and I’m pretty sure the more he coaches us, the more I’ll learn and experience. I absolutely meant everything I said about that message.”

CHARGERS STAR DERWIN JAMES JR. SAYS HIS LEADERSHIP SKILLS IMPROVED AFTER RIGOROUS COAST GUARD TRAINING

Harbaugh knows what it takes to lead men on a football field, especially at the NFL level, where he went 44-19-1 in four seasons with the San Francisco 49ers before taking the job at Michigan in 2015..

There, Harbaugh posted an 89-25 record and was on his way to a perfect 15-0 season and a national championship title.

Whenever a new regime is implemented for a team, college or NFL, it is of utmost importance for the head coach to make the transition as easy as possible to ensure that the wins add up in the statistics.

Harbaugh has called on other players to do this in the past, and James is one of those players because of his captaincy and natural leadership qualities in the locker room.

James has always believed in being a leader on and off the field, but Harbaugh has already further developed those skills, and it’s not even Week 1 yet.

Derwin James Jr. of the Los Angeles Chargers makes plays during a mandatory minicamp at the Chargers’ practice facility in Costa Mesa, Calif., Wednesday, June 15, 2022. (Photo by Paul Bersebach/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty Images)

“I would say it’s definitely improved under Coach Harbaugh,” James said when asked if his leadership skills have grown since his new coach arrived. “He gave me that confidence and instilled that confidence in me every day, saying, ‘Hey man, you’re a great player. You come to work every day and do everything right. Talk to your teammates and encourage them.’

“I hear that every day. And like you said, I’m new as a coach. He’s new to me, I’m new to him. So we have to rely on each other.”

During his introductory press conference, Harbaugh praised James as someone who makes him “excited” to work with him this season, a relationship that has already taken off on the West Coast.

Both James and Harbaugh know that the good mood in the locker room can quickly change if the wins don’t come. And the Chargers were well below average last season, going 5-12 after making the playoffs the year before.

Harbaugh is tasked with turning Los Angeles around, and he will rely on players like James, quarterback Justin Herbert and defensive ends Khalil Mack and Joey Bosa to accomplish that task with new strategies and coaches.

Safety Derwin James Jr. of the Los Angeles Chargers praised his new head coach Jim Harbaugh highly (left). (Getty Images)

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It all starts when the Las Vegas Raiders travel to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, to face the Chargers in Week 1. And that’s when the passion James sees in Harbaugh will be on full display for the first time on the sidelines.

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