Flashback 100: Harbaugh Brothers' Football Roots Planted in Part at Pioneer
November 29, 2024
Monday's NFL matchup between the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers marked the third time Ann Arbor brothers John and Jim Harbaugh have faced off as head coaches.
John, the Ravens' head coach since 2008, holds a 3-0 record against his younger brother Jim, who is in his first season leading the Chargers. Jim previously served as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers from 2011 to 2014, and the two Harbaughs famously met in Super Bowl XLVII, where John emerged victorious.
Before their coaching careers, the brothers played together on the same high school football team. In 1979, the Ann Arbor Pioneer team finished with a 4-5 record, with John as a senior defensive back and Jim, a sophomore quarterback, starting the year on the junior varsity team.
After high school, John attended Miami (Ohio) and eventually began his coaching career. After his sophomore year of high school, Jim followed his father Jack to Palo Alto, Calif., when Jack took a coaching job at Stanford. The Harbaughs' roots in Ann Arbor ran deep, and Jim would later return to Michigan, where he played and, in 2023, led the Wolverines to a national championship as head coach. Jim Harbaugh played 14 seasons in the NFL before moving on to coaching, taking snaps with the Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts, Baltimore Ravens and San Diego Chargers.
The Harbaugh brothers were inducted into the Ann Arbor Pioneer Athletics Hall of Fame together in 2016.
Previous "Flashback 100" Features
Nov. 22: 8-Player Football Finals Right at Home at Superior Dome - Read
Nov. 15: Leland Career Helps Set Stage for Glass' International Stardom - Read
Nov. 8: Future Baseball Pro Led Escanaba's Legendary Football Title Run - Read
Nov. 1: Michigan High School Baseball Trio Provide World Series Voices - Read
Oct. 25: Before Leading Free World, Ford Starred for Champion GR South - Read
Oct. 18: Mercy Links Legend Becomes World Golf Hall of Famer - Read
Oct. 11: Fisher Races to Finals Stardom on Way to U.S. Olympic First - Read
Oct. 4: Lalas Leaves High School Legacies on Ice & Pitch - Read
Sept. 27: Tamer's History-Making Run Starts in Dexter, Continues to Paris - Read
Sept. 20: Todd Martin’s Road to Greatness Starts at East Lansing - Read
Sept. 13: James Earl Jones, Dickson High Hoops to Hollywood Legend - Read
Sept. 6: Pioneers' Unstoppable Streak Stretches 9 Seasons - Read
Aug. 30: Detroit dePorres Rushes to 1995 Class CC Football Championship - Read
PHOTOS At top left, John Harbaugh in 1979, with brother Jim’s photo at bottom left. At right, John Harbaugh is No. 22 in the 1979 Pioneer football team photo. (Photos courtesy of Ann Arbor Pioneer/MLive.)
Be the Referee: Football Holding
By
Sam Davis
MHSAA Director of Officials
August 27, 2024
Be The Referee is a series of short messages designed to help educate people on the rules of different sports, to help them better understand the art of officiating, and to recruit officials.
Below is this week's segment – Football Holding - Listen
In football, it’s often said that holding happens on every play. But does it?
When an offensive player uses their hands or arms to illegally restrain a defensive player – that’s holding. This typically happens when blockers grab or pull defensive players away from their path – impeding their ability to make a play. The penalty is 10 yards from the previous spot.
Defensive players can be flagged for holding as well. That’s also a 10-yard penalty. An example of defensive holding is when a cornerback grabs a receiver to slow him down before the ball is thrown. If that same contact happens while the pass is in the air – then it’s pass interference. Defensive pass interference is a 15-yard penalty.
PHOTO A football official signals holding during a 2023 game. (Photo by Gary Shook.)