Bruce Miller:
“Jim Harbaugh is my favorite coach that I’ve ever had, and I thrived under his leadership,” said Miller, who played defensive end in college before transitioning to fullback with the 49ers. “He was an outstanding teacher with an unrivaled knowledge of the game. He brought energy that most coaches just don’t have, and really knew how to get the most out of his players.
“Coach Harbaugh lives and breathes football. He loved football so much that he simply couldn’t contain himself or hold it in. In meetings and at practice, he was exactly the way he appeared on the sidelines as games — full of emotion and intensity. He set the tone for the entire team, and the expectation that every player would be equally as focused.”
Michael Crabtree:
Michael Crabtree played for Jim Harbaugh for four seasons. At the conclusion of the 2014 season, Harbaugh left the 49ers for Michigan, and Crabtree left the 49ers for the Raiders. On Wednesday evening, the wide receiver talked about his former head coach.
"Harbaugh is something else, man," Crabtree told KNBR 680 AM. "That's one of my favorite dudes, man."
Harbaugh has made headlines recently for his unusual recruiting tactics. His methods paid off on Wednesday, when Harbaugh secured the No. 6 class in the nation, according to numerous recruiting outlets.
"He just likes to compete," Crabtree explained. "It's just being competitive. Everything we did at practice, from little drills, we used to always compete ... just a good, tough competitor. That's really his personality."
Did Harbaugh's antics ever wear Crabtree out?" No," Crabtree answered. "We the same. We got a lot of energy. Athletes. We competing every day -- playing pool in the locker room, shooting into the trash can -- it's competitive, man."
Donte Whitner:
In his effort to help turn around the Browns, Whitner is attempting to instill the tenacity he saw from Jim Harbaugh as the 49ers head coach.
Asked how to guard against a losing mentality, Whitner, 30, discussed the never-let-up lessons he learned from Harbaugh.
“I don’t really know how you guard against it, but I know what wins football games,” Whitner said. “I learned a lot from the coaching staff in San Francisco, even after we had some tough losses or even after we had wins. Coach (Jim) Harbaugh was the one that really kept that thing together and really helped us understand what it takes to win football games.“
We had a chemistry unmatched,” Whitner said. “I tend to miss those guys. I tend to miss those guys that I played with there -- from Dashon Goldson, Tarell Brown, Carlos Rogers. You never realize how special a situation was until you’re gone.”
Carlos Hyde, Marcus Martin, Antonio Cromartie:
49ers Players -- We'll Miss Harbaugh ... He'll Crush It At Michigan! | TMZ.com
