Chris Harris Jr. on the "Energy" Brandon Staley & Renaldo Hill Bring to the Bolts

Feb 11, 2021 at 09:30 AM

Hayley Elwood

Team Reporter

No one knows Chargers head coach Brandon Staley and defensive coordinator Renaldo Hill better than Chris Harris Jr.

After all, Harris Jr. was in Denver with both coaches. Staley was the Broncos outside linebackers coach in 2019 and Hill was the team's defensive backs coach the same year.

So with that keen knowledge, who better to talk with to get the lowdown on Staley and Hill?

Here's Harris Jr.'s thoughts on each coach, the excitement he has for the 2021 season, and more.

"They're Gonna Definitely Come Out There and Bring the Energy"

Harris Jr. is greatly looking forward to reuniting with Staley and Hill again and since he has experience with both, he outlined what they'll bring to the team and to its players.

"I just know that it's gonna be fun. They're gonna definitely come out there and bring the energy and make sure that we're gonna have a great gameplan every week. That's what excites players, when you have coaches that are gonna give you the best chance to go out there and perform great. I think when guys get to know these guys and get to understand their scheme, I think they're gonna love it."

On Brandon Staley

Despite not playing the position Staley coached in Denver, Harris Jr. said the pair was often collaborative, bouncing ideas off one another.

It's a trait Harris Jr. says really resonates with players.

"He's just very smart. He was a guy that always talked to me while we were there. We'd always pick each other's brains … I know from just having conversations about the game of football, that he kind of thinks like how I do. I love that about him. This guy is very interactive with the players, he wants to pick their brains, he wants to learn from them and also try to put us in better situations to make plays."

On Staley's Ability to Relate to Players

play hard for your brothers 💪@ChrisHarrisJr | #BoltUp pic.twitter.com/eFsSTgclqQ
— Los Angeles Chargers (@Chargers) February 10, 2021

Despite Staley's quick ascension in this league, one thing has remained throughout his coaching career – his ability to relate to players.

He has a knack for it, like Harris Jr. discussed above, but he also mentioned how the bonds that Staley builds extend to on the field.

"I think it's about just showing that you care, showing that you want to build a relationship with somebody. That's what it takes to win. In my past in Denver in our best years, we had great relationships from top to bottom. When you have that trust and you have that brotherhood, you go out there and play harder. You keep everybody accountable."

On Renaldo Hill

Hill might have been Harris Jr.'s position coach in Denver, but the pair go back further than that.

Hill was actually in training camp during Harris Jr.'s rookie season with the Broncos.

Harris Jr. discussed what Hill's best strengths were as a coach, including his experience as a former player.

"He's a great addition … A guy that actually played in the NFL. He had a long career … But (working) with him in Denver two years ago, he was just big on making sure that we always (got) the ball. He always taught us about which ways we could get picks and different ways we could make plays within the game and make the game slow down for us."