Jim Harbaugh

Nothing makes you feel more like a man than winning an away game in terrible weather

To overcome an opponent, overcome them in their stadium and to overcome them in their stadium with the elements, then I would say Yeah. There's nothing that would make you feel more like a man than that.

Joe Hortiz is the best talent evaluator in football

Joe Hortiz, my brother said, I would love Joe... He undersold it, he undersold it. I, I, I, he's the one of the best evaluators in the game. I don't think there's anybody better after going through this off season in draft with Joe Hortiz.

I admit I was dead wrong about chickens being a nervous bird that shouldn't be eaten

Getting chickens? Raising chickens from chicks... I was eating a chicken something... and he [Brian Jennings] goes, yeah, he really shouldn't eat chicken. And then he, he, he was the one who explained to me that chicken chickens were a nervous bird... I maintained that... I went back. I was wrong. We're good. I was wrong. I, I think I, I was dead wrong.

Attacking each day with enthusiasm unknown to mankind is the 'SpongeBob' way of life

When you talk about attacking each day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind. Yeah, that's SpongeBob. And it's unknown to mankind, you know? It's not of mankind. It's sponge.

Success in the NFL is 100% about having the best players; coaching is secondary

It's only because you have good players. I mean, there is no good coaches with bad players. I mean, it's all about the players... you gotta coach 'em better, or you gotta [acquire] better players... you can't be a good coach without great players.

My plan is still to coach football and then die

All you cared about was, I wanna play football for as long as I can play football, then coach football, then die. Has there been any change in that? [Harbaugh:] No. Still on track. Still on track. God willing and the, and the creek don't rises. You know, we're, we're on track. That's it.

Training camp is a rebirth akin to New Year's or the birth of Christ

There's people that think of January 1st as being the start of the new year. People that espoused Christianity, Catholicism, talk about the birth of Christ. We talk about training camp. I love it... That's the rebirth. That's coming out of the womb... Now you're in the real world. Boom. Out into the light. Out into the chaos.

Michigan's season is defined by the outcome of the Ohio State game

The last game for us defines the season... There's also 11 important games in front of that that dictate and define whether you win the Big Ten championship and whether you go to the playoffs, and then the last game defines the entire season.

I use Microsoft Excel for everything, including writing poems and drawing pictures

I do everything in Excel. Everything in Excel. I draw pictures in Excel. Excel is the first thing I learned, and I've stayed with it. I'm a disciple of Excel... You can format the cell and do three to four lines or six. They can overlap. It's a very versatile piece of software.

SpongeBob SquarePants is one of my heroes because of his work ethic and enthusiasm

I love SpongeBob... Just the way [he] attacks with enthusiasm unknown to mankind at all times. He's always happy. Always positive. He's energetic... I mean, some of the times where he's flipping the burgers, like he's got four or five or six arms. He loves work. Takes pride in his job. What's there not to love about SpongeBob?

Players who sit out bowl games are damaging their legacy and their status as a competitor

I think it hurts their actual—their legacy too. Just what they're about. You know, a competitor is going to compete... Everybody talks about it. They're a competitor... But then they actually don't go play in a football game. You know, that's, to me, that's a problem. You have a problem now with who you are as a competitor and your legacy.

Questioning a man's toughness is the worst thing you can do, second only to animal abuse

Questioning their toughness? It's right up there at the top. I think there's probably worse things. You know, you could accuse somebody of beating their dog or something like that. Toughness... that you cross the line, in my opinion.

Toughness and grit can be acquired like a callus on the human body

Absolutely, you can improve and become better at toughness. It's a talent, but it can be acquired too. I think of it like building a callus, just like the human body. What a tremendous organism. It actually craves contact... much like conditioning can be improved, so can that callus of toughness and grit also be acquired or improved. You've got a blister. It's soft. It's got fluid in it. It's going to break, but the great thing about it, when it does break, it'll callus over even stronger and harder and better.

I need the sport of football like some people need ice cream or a drug

You know, people are going to be better at things that they love, right? I mean, you're going to work harder at it... Some people need the sport of football. I would put myself in that category. No, I do. I love it... Some people like and need ice cream. You know, they want to eat it every day. I look at football like that. I need it. I need football. It's like a drug, yeah.

My life plan has always been to play football as long as I could, then coach, then die

Honestly, I knew from the very youngest age that I was going to play football as long as I could, then coach, then die. And I really haven't thought about deviation from that plan.

I grew three inches taller because I prayed every night and drank massive amounts of milk

I continued into the high school... the proof being that nobody in my family is over six foot. My brother, John, and my dad are the second tallest Harbaughs. It's right at six foot. I got to six three. There you go... I prayed a lot about it too and drank milk. What do babies drink when they come out of the womb? Milk. That's healthy stuff on earth.

To win a championship you need a great QB, great defense, and a reliable kicker

I've always thought this. When it comes to winning a championship, you need a great quarterback, a good defense, and a field goal kicker that can make field goals. Or a good quarterback, a great defense, and a field goal kicker that can make field goals.

Toughness can be built like a callus and the human body craves contact

Think of it [toughness] like building a callus, you know, just like the human body. What a tremendous organism. I mean, it actually craves contact. I mean, it likes contact, craves it, as opposed to a car... So, yeah, much like conditioning can be improved, I mean, so can that callus of toughness and grit also be acquired or improved.

I need football every day in the same way some people need ice cream or a drug.

Some people like and need ice cream. You know, they want to eat it every day. I look at football like that. I need it. I need football. [It's like a drug, yeah.]

It ain't hard being a football player if you're actually a football player.

It ain't hard being a football player if you're a football player. That's it. ... If you're a football player, you crave the contact. You like going to bed at night, having the head hit the pillow, and the muscles are sore. They ache. You've sweated. You're exhausted. As soon as your head hits the pillow and you close your eyes, you're asleep.

I still play football in my dreams

I play in dreams... I don't ever have any coaching dreams, but I have football dreams still, and I play. I play... Sometimes I'll be D1, but more and more, for some reason, I'm in the D3 now. I've got another year of eligibility.

My life plan is to play football as long as I can, then coach, then die.

I knew from the very youngest age that I was going to play football as long as I could, then coach, then die. And I really haven't thought about deviation from that plan.

Drinking massive amounts of milk built strong bones and made me taller than the rest of my family.

I literally was able to drink as much milk as I could hold. ... The proof being that nobody in my family is over six foot. My brother, John, and my dad... are right at six foot. I got to six three. ... Milk builds strong bones. ... It does do a body good.

Vegans don't know what they're talking about and organic food is a sham

Here's what I learned. That this – Vegans don't know what they're talking about. And two, the people that are – Organic is – that's a sham too... Organic is not more healthy. It is not sustainable. We're going to 9 billion people on the planet. The resources that it takes to make something organic uses twice the month, twice as the resources that it does otherwise. I mean, that's not sustainable.

The 'low man wins' principle of football pad level applies to catching foul balls in a crowd.

Most of the balls that you get are not clean caught. I mean, all you got to do is go low. When you see the crowd of hands go up, just go low. Dive in low between the seats, that ball is going to come down. Like in football, pad level, low man wins.