James Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is a former professional football player for the National Football League. Harbaugh was a quarterback in the National Football League, and is currently the head coach of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers. He played college football at the University of Michigan, and was in the NFL for 14 seasons, from 1987 to 2000. Harbaugh has been a head coach since 2004, beginning at the University of San Diego for three seasons. He moved up the coast to Stanford University of the Pac-10 in 2007, and after four seasons, to the 49ers in 2011.
Born in Toledo, Ohio, Harbaugh's father Jack was a football coach, and the family lived in Ohio, Kentucky, Iowa, Michigan, and California. He attended high school in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Palo Alto, California, when his father was an assistant coach at Michigan and Stanford. After graduation from high school in Palo Alto in 1982, Harbaugh returned to Ann Arbor and enrolled at the University of Michigan and played quarterback for the Wolverines, starting for three seasons. As a fifth-year senior in 1986, he led Michigan to the 1987 Rose Bowl and was a Heisman Trophy finalist, finishing third.
The Chicago Bears selected Harbaugh in the first round of the 1987 NFL Draft. He played 14 years as a quarterback in the NFL, with Chicago from 1987 to 1993, the Indianapolis Colts from 1994 to 1997, the Baltimore Ravens in 1998, and the San Diego Chargers in 1999 and 2000. He first became a regular starting quarterback in 1990 with Chicago. In 1995 with Indianapolis, he led the Colts to the AFC Championship Game, was selected to the Pro Bowl and was honored as NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
|