Los Angeles Chargers running back Justin Herbert hasn’t played a single snap in the preseason, but Friday drew high praise for new coach Jim Harbaugh’s leadership in an unexpected predicament. According to Harbaugh, Herbert was one of 11 or 12 Chargers trapped in a hotel elevator in Dallas before the Chargers’ third regular season game.
“You get into those situations and it’s a test of will,” Harbaugh said Saturday after the Chargers beat the Dallas Cowboys. “I was proud of every guy and two girls in that elevator. It was a success. You feel good about yourself. You are challenged. It’s a test of will, you pull it down or pull it in.
Among those trapped in the elevator was Jeri Fouts, wife of Hall of Famer Don Fouts. The crew was trapped without air conditioning for two hours before being rescued by Dallas Fire-Rescue.
The crowded Texas elevator was dripping with sweat as the party members were removed one by one through the ceiling panel, Harbaugh said.
Every person except Herbert, that is.
“Justin Herbert, his hair was a little wet, but his shirt was completely dry,” Harbaugh said. “That’s another thing that drew me in. The guy was a beast.
“The notable things that came out of that was, for a guy, for young rookies, ‘Justin Herbert is a leader. He’s a rock. He keeps everybody calm,'” Harbaugh said. “Jerry Fouts said the same thing to me and took me aside after they left, how great Justin was. And everybody kept their balance.
In typical Harbaugh fashion, the fiery coach was both impressed with how his star quarterback handled the situation, but wished he could have been a part of the shared experience.
“It was like, ‘I wish I was with those guys.’ But there was Justin Herbert,” he said.
Harbaugh later thanked the Dallas Fire Department for their efforts, noting that things could have been much worse if the crew had been stuck for more hours.
The Chargers open their season on Sept. 8 against the Las Vegas Raiders, and Harbaugh said their elevator situation Friday is a key step in making the team “harder to break you down.”
“Who better than the guys in that elevator?!” He asked.
Required reading
(Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)
