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Jim Harbaugh has always been one of the strangest coaches in college football, as there are plenty of stories that sum up his infamously quirky nature. That includes his refusal to eat chicken because he views the species as a “nervous bird,” although he’s had a change of heart after getting up close and personal with a few of them.
As you likely know, Jim Harbaugh is currently embroiled in the sign-stealing scandal that resulted in the Big Ten suspending him from coaching the Michigan Wolverines on the sidelines for the last three games of the regular season (although the school is mounting a legal battle against the punishment).
There are still plenty of questions surrounding Harbaugh’s involvement in the saga sparked by former Wolverines staffer Connor Stalions, and there’s little doubt plenty of people would’ve loved to hear the skipper address them during the press conference he appeared at on Monday in the wake of Michigan’s win over Penn State.
However, he opted to devote a chunk of that session with the media to address what really matters: his thoughts on chickens.
In 2018, an ex-Michigan player claimed Harbaugh told him he went out of his way to avoid eating chicken while describing it as a “nervous bird” and suggested he was motivated to avoid poultry because he was concerned he would inherit those anxious tendencies by consuming it.
While that may sound strange, it was basically par for the course when it comes to a guy with one of the most fascinating minds in college football. However, he’s apparently changed his tune after deciding to keep some chickens as pets.
Jim Harbaugh has changed his stance on chickens:
I know there was there was a time when I said that chicken is a nervous bird. ‘I don't eat chicken; I only eat meat.’ But I was dead wrong. I stand corrected. These chickens are low maintenance and high production. They lay an… pic.twitter.com/QLaQUMXgrB
— Alejandro Zúñiga (@ByAZuniga) November 13, 2023
Harbaugh said he decided to purchase some chicks at Tractor Supply during the pandemic and eventually realized he’d given them a bad rap, noting:
“I’m the one who takes care of them. And the respect that I have for chickens—I know there was there was a time when I said that chicken is a nervous bird. ‘I don’t eat chicken; I only eat meat—but I was dead wrong.
I stand corrected. These chickens are low maintenance and high production.
They lay an egg every 26, 27 hours. And they need water, they need food. And then I play with them, too. I let them out in the yard. We run around and they’re happy to see me…
It’s good for my mental health as well. And get fresh eggs every day. Highly productive.”
It’s good to see Jim Harbaugh finally addressing the topics that truly matter.