Ladd McConkey on playing for Jim Harbaugh: 'He's a great guy'

Los Angeles Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey seems to enjoy playing for head coach Jim Harbaugh. While speaking with Chargers reporter Hayley Elwood, McConkey shared his thoughts on Harbaugh who joined the team this year after spending nine seasons with the Michigan Wolverines.

“Once I’ve got around him (and) started talking to him, he’s a great guy,” McConkey said. “He really truly cares about all his players and what’s best for them.”

Harbaugh knows McConkey very well as he faced him when the Wolverines took on the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2022 College Football Playoff Seminals (for the 2021 season). In that game, McConkey only had two receptions for 14 yards, but the Bulldogs won the game 34-11 and went on to win the national title.

The Chargers selected McConkey in the second round of the NFL Draft, and he’s expected to make an impact right away, especially since the team lost veteran receivers Mike Williams and Keenan Allen.

After the second day of the draft, Harbaugh revealed what he likes about McConkey.

“Love the speed, 4.38 [40-yard dash], but he plays to it,” Harbaugh said, per the Chargers’ official website. “He plays to that 4.38 every single play, you can see it in the way that he rages off of the ball, and once he has the ball in his hands.

“Me and Joe [Hortiz] were talking about him, he’s very [Raiders TE] Brock Bowers-like with the way that he gets yards after the catch,” Harbaugh added. “Competitor, big-time. Those things. He catches the ball. A terrific route-runner. He has the quickness, he has the speed that is going to be great for our offense. I love the guys that can run in the 4.3s.”

What Kirby Smart had to say about Ladd McConkey

McConkey was a big reason the Bulldogs have finished undefeated in the regular season the last three years. In March, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart explained what makes McConkey special.

“Just starting from the time we offered him to now, he’s ascended and aspired to be great,” Smart said. “No one works harder than Ladd McConkey. Nobody on our team would say there’s a better teammate than Ladd McConkey. I don’t know that he’s ever said a negative word about anybody. He’s just such a good kid, such a hard person to find. He’s a great football player on top of that.”