Harbaugh Addresses The 1st Cavalry
Jul 18, 2010, 12:05PM
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Head Coach John Harbaugh wants his players to be gutsy, smart and committed to the team, principles that were reinforced when he attended a team-building symposium with the 1st Cavalry Division, one of the most famous and decorated combat divisions in the U.S. Army.
Invited as the keynote speaker, Harbaugh couldn’t help but notice the similarities between life in the military and football.
“Those guys have so much at stake. It’s hard for us to even look at it and say it’s the same, but when they teach their troops, they make sports analogies all the time,” Harbaugh said. “I think that’s ironic, because we make military analogies all the time.
“I think in the back of our mind, we all want our guys to have that mental and intestinal fortitude, the courage to do what they do. I never want to find out, but that’s why you respect them so much.”
The 1st Cavalry recently underwent a leadership changeover and is preparing to deploy all six of its brigades to various locations within the next year, making this symposium critical.
It was beneficial for Harbaugh, too.
Long known to invite military members to practice – Military Day at training camp is Aug. 17 – or wear military-inspired gear on the field, such as the camouflage “SURGE” hats coaches and players donned last year to honor the influx of deployed American troops to Iraq, Harbaugh relishes interacting with the armed forces.
“It was a great event,” Harbaugh said of the three-day convention in San Antonio (July 8-10). “You talk to these men and women, and I’m so impressed by how strong they are mentally, the commitment to leaving no man behind. The dedication to each other and the overall good.
“We talked a lot about the respect the players and coaches have for the military. I’ve never been able to figure out why, other than we recognize the magnitude of what soldiers accomplish.”
One year ago, Harbaugh was finishing a four-day USO tour with several other NFL coaches, and he and Col. John Thompson, one of Gen. Ray Odierno’s Chiefs of Staff during Operation Iraqi Freedom, were discussing the visit.
“We were trapped out there, sitting on the runway on duffel bags, waiting until we could fly out,” said Harbaugh. “[Thompson] was with us for the whole four days we were there, so we got to know each other pretty well. He’s the one who gave me the ‘surge’ story. I took that back to the team, and it became one of our themes for training camp.”
He and Thompson kept in touch, as Harbaugh even used some videos sent by Thompson throughout the season for motivational purposes.
Thompson then emailed Harbaugh last spring and recommended him to Major General Dan Allyn, the 1st Cavalry’s commander.
“General Allyn wanted a high-profile coach, and I got volunteered,” Harbaugh joked. “No, I definitely wanted to do it, there was no question. I even saw a few of the people I met in Iraq.”
While there were several breakout workshops covering a wide range of team-building topics, Harbaugh was especially pleased to talk about family life in light of training camp opening on July 27.
Those in attendance from the 1st Cavalry’s Division Command Group, Division Staff, Brigade Commanders and Command Sergeants Major and Battalion Commanders and Command Sergeants Major brought their spouses.
Harbaugh, with wife Ingrid alongside, appreciated how similar relationships are between football and the military.
“The first thing was recognizing the similarities between the coaching families and military families, especially with the wives there,” he explained. “It always amazes me with the coaches. I look at our staff, and it amazes me what the quality of people the wives are. To deal with this profession – the strains on the family, the demands – it takes great, great wives.”
Now counting down the days until the pigskin really starts flying, Harbaugh is happy he was able to wind down his summer vacation with an inspiring outing.
With an eye on the military’s constant service, Harbaugh will always have time to support the troops, whether that is through a hat, speech or handshake.
