Jim Harbaugh is bringing more college football to Chargers practice.
In his second season in Los Angeles, Harbaugh has introduced the custom of adding patches to players' practice jerseys, similar to how college teams might place stickers on a helmet to commemorate accomplishments.
"Like a résumé. Kind of reminds me how a [military] general has different patches," Harbaugh said of the practice patches, via the team's official website.
The patches can be earned for multiple achievements: Chargers Team Captain, Ed Block Courage Award winner, Walter Payton Man of the Year (nominee or winner), Chargers playoff participant (gold Bolt), NFL playoff participant (white Bolt), holds a Chargers record, holds an NFL record, has earned an All-Pro honor or is a Chargers Block of Granite award winner, which is a weight room accomplishment bestowed by Ben Herbert, executive director of player performance.
"Some day they'll be able to put that jersey up in a frame, put it on a wall, say something really good about themselves, it will be what they accomplished as a pro football player. I like that," Harbaugh said.
The 61-year-old coach noted that the helmet stickers practice isn't much of a "pro thing," so he wanted a different way to signify accomplishments for his club.
For the players, it adds an extra smidge of competitiveness.
"I got to get it to the ribs, though," team captain and All-Pro safety Derwin James said of the patches on his right chest. "We ain't done. I got it getting it hanging."
It's an interesting wrinkle and makes the Chargers' practice jerseys unique. We'll have to see how the club's equipment managers feel about the added task of scaling up practice kits.
