He’s not just the prototypical passerby. For Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh, dual-threat quarterback isn’t even the right classification for what Justin Herbert can do.
“Justin could play tight end in the National Football League,” Harbaugh said. “He could be an edge rusher. He could do all these things because of his speed, his strength, his agility and his athleticism. It’s off the charts.”
After rushing for three highlight-reel plays against the Tennessee Titans last week — a four-yard touchdown, an ankle-breaking juke and a defender-dropping pump fake — Herbert is only beginning to reveal his athleticism on the national stage.
The quarterback who set NFL records in his first four seasons has passed 11 times and rushed for a touchdown in a game, trailing only Hall of Famer John Hadl (12) in Chargers history.
Heading into Sunday’s primetime game against the Cincinnati Bengals, national reporters peppered Herbert’s teammates with his seemingly secret sportsmanship, but for the former three-sport star at Sheldon (Ore.) High, it has been in full view the entire time hidden from view.
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) fakes a throw and then runs past Titans cornerback Roger McCreary (21) during a touchdown drive.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Rivals classified him as a dual-threat quarterback on his recruitment profile. If Oregon hadn’t offered him a football scholarship, Herbert said he could have tried out for the MLB draft. Scouts came to Sheldon’s games to get a glimpse of Herbert’s clipped fastball that “drove guys crazy,” said former Sheldon baseball coach Stan Manley.
The sounds of Herbert’s bat in the cage made Manley cower behind the pitching screen. Oregon State coaches were immediately intrigued by the 6-foot-2 sophomore shortstop. When Herbert moved to first base, the Oregon coaches also returned to see him throw into the bullpen.
On the basketball court, he was a rebounding power forward who relied on pure athleticism to score in transition as a sophomore on Sheldon’s state runner-up team. As a senior, he became the team’s leading scorer.
As if Herbert playing all three sports wasn’t impressive enough, former Sheldon basketball coach Daniel Clark highlighted the way the teenager improved in all three sports despite minimal offseason training as he bounced between seasons .
“Some people just have this incredible ability to teach their body to do athletic things,” says Clark, now an assistant at Bishop’s School in La Jolla. “He really has great movement intelligence so he can figure out how to get the most out of what he has as an athlete.”
Herbert was always the one Manley wanted on the mound at the end of a game because of his competitive nature. As a junior, Herbert was the winning pitcher in the state championship game and scored the winning run.
In the bottom of the seventh, with a runner on second in a tied game, Herbert hit a slow ground ball on what should have been a routine play. By the time the shortstop reached the ball and looked up, Herbert had almost reached first base. The panicked player rushed his throw and the winning run scored on an error.
“He just made the play,” Manley said. “That’s Justin.”
So Manley isn’t surprised to see Herbert still making the same hustle in the NFL.
Herbert scored his first rushing touchdown in more than a year last week, improvising on a fourth down in the red zone that was needed for the quarterback to run wide to the right sideline. As an unblocked defender blew up the play in the backfield, Herbert cut back to his left and slid through the defense for a four-yard touchdown.
With every rushing job Herbert finds, offensive coordinator Greg Roman sees his playbook open up more and more.
“There are times when things need to be covered,” Roman said, “and if you can make them pay with your feet, it adds a whole new dimension to what you can do offensively.”
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) uses a straight arm stretch while competing against the Tennessee Titans.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Finally healthy after a high ankle sprain in Week 2, Herbert tied his career high with six games against the Titans, according to Zebra Technologies, which works with NFL Next Gen Stats. He has attempted a scramble run on a career-high 5.8% of his dropbacks this season while averaging 8.1 yards on such carries, the second-highest of his career.
Herbert knows he has to be smart if he has to leave. The last thing the Chargers need is their star quarterback, who missed the end of last season with a hand injury, on the bench. But he won’t play conservative either.
“If there are any meters we have gained, whether it is making a move or continuing to run in the field, I will do what is necessary,” he said.
Herbert knows all too well the risks that running entails. He broke his leg as a junior at Sheldon on a 35-yard run, halting a promising season that included 10 touchdown passes in the first three games.
Before the injury, Sheldon football and baseball assistant coach Scott Wright thought every college football coach in America would soon descend on his small town to woo his quarterback. With little interest from the big schools, however, Herbert considered attending Montana State, where his older brother Mitchell was a receiver, or pursuing professional baseball.
Coaches offered him opportunities to play in major baseball events that could have boosted his profile. He could have dominated in passing tournaments throughout the recruiting circuit to boost his ratings. None of it mattered compared to winning
“I’ve never known anyone in my life — and I’ve been coaching baseball and football for 20 years now — who cared more about winning,” Wright said.
The drive does not stop with sports. Herbert participates in every competition. Manley would sometimes arrive at the ballpark early to catch the star pitcher organizing a Putt-Putt golf tournament with his teammates, who used their bats to hit balls to different corners of the batting cage.
During rain delays, they passed the time playing bocce with a resin bag, and Herbert had to win those matches as well. In the Chargers’ locker room, equipped with table tennis, shuffleboard and a golf simulator, Herbert wants to win it all, linebacker Troy Dye said.
“And he’ll talk shit to you all the time,” said Dye, who played with Herbert at Oregon. “His competitive nature just takes it out of the team.”
The Chargers get a jolt of energy when their quarterback goes out for a run. Defensive teammates watching from the sidelines crane their necks toward the big screen. They jump off the bench when Herbert dives down for the first time.
Roman, watching it all happen from the press box, feels the same excitement, but always wonders for a moment if it was worth it.
When he sees the $262 million quarterback stand up again in front of roaring fans and energetic teammates, the answer is clear.
