Ex-49ers player says Harbaugh ‘thinks he’s a player, not a coach’

The fact that Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh had no problem taking his shirt off recently during a football camp and running around the field with a bunch of teenagers — while still wearing his signature khaki pants — didn’t surprise Delanie Walker one bit.

“Harbaugh doesn’t surprise anyone. He does whatever he feels like doing,” the Tennessee Titans tight end told The Tennessean, laughing. “Truthfully, I think Harbaugh still thinks he’s a player, not a coach.”

After playing two seasons for Harbaugh with the San Francisco 49ers, Walker found the shirtless stunt pretty tame compared to the time the coach suited up and practiced with the Niners. The team was short on quarterbacks because of injuries, and Harbaugh played the role of the No. 3 signal caller.

“He dressed up in full gear and practiced the whole practice — pads, helmets, everything on. He had the whole uniform on,” Walker said. “We came out and said, ‘Who is that dude out there?’ And it was Jim Harbaugh. He had some old high-top cleats on.

“He did pretty good. He just couldn’t throw the deep, deep pass.”

Somehow, we can’t picture New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick putting on pads and practicing with his team. Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll? Maybe.

Walker expects Harbaugh to thrive with the Wolverines.

“I think he is going to be great,” Walker said. “People buy into his philosophy. Every team he has ever been on has been good, right? So you tell me what he is going to do. Young kids love to have a coach who is crazy.”

After seeing Harbaugh shirtless, we think they’d probably prefer that he put on pads.