Derwin James Jr. is eagerly waiting for the season to begin. Based on his comments on Thursday, his eagerness will transfer to his performance on the field—so prepare for an outstanding season from James.
“It feels amazing. It feels like Christmas,” James said Thursday. “I can’t wait to play. I can’t wait until September gets here.”
Jim Harbaugh thinks highly of James and wants others on the team to emulate his energy.
“One and a half practices in way back in April, it was clear to be like, ‘Derwin James, Jr. Okay guys, do whatever Derwin James is doing,’” Harbaugh said about James. “However he approaches the training environment, the way he approaches the meetings, the way he approaches the practices, what he wears, what he does, what he says, the way he goes from meeting to meeting, the way he communicates. Everything he does.”
James’ approach to the game is unique and desirable, so it’s not surprising that Harbaugh spotted that so early on in his time in Los Angeles.
“Just look at No. 3 and do everything that he is doing and it’s going to be really good for you,” Harbaugh added.
James has always been a respected leader for the Chargers but his success had been somewhat stagnant last year.
“Every day, I just try to be the example, set the standard, be here every day and be present, not just be here,” James said. “Working hard and pushing guys.
Although he wasn’t as successful performance-wise last season, he remained a faithful leader for his teammates.
Most of James’ performance concerns stemmed from the myriad of roles he had in the previous defensive scheme under Brandon Staley. However, under Jesse Minter, his responsibilities have been more suitable.
“Just looking at who I am as a player, day in and day out, how he sees me in his scheme … every day he just reminds me of who I am,” James said about his early conversations with Minter. “Like I said, I just been getting better every day and he’s a straightforward guy.”
Rather than a play-to-play basis, James will have a set role each game and will stick with it. If he’s asked to cover a tight end, he’ll do that for the entire game. If James is asked to play a single-high safety, he’s doing that for all 60 minutes.
“I feel like I’ll be moved around,” James said. “But I feel like it will be very detailed on an assignment that he wants me to have.”
It’s no secret that James is an exceptional leader for the Chargers’ defensive unit. However, now that he is adjusting to a new scheme, he seems hungry for success.