When Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh was 6 years old, the now-53-year-old told reporters earlier this year, he got hit by a car. Specifically, he collided with a mail truck while he walked with brother (and current Ravens head coach) John Harbaugh.
"John and I had gone to school, our first day at Roosevelt Elementary," Harbaugh said this season, via ESPN. "First day we'd moved there and found some kids to play with after school. I was trying to put my jacket on over my head all at once.
“I was just following after him, and he crossed the street — busy street there,” Harbaugh went on. “The next thing I know, I woke up in a hospital bed. I'd got hit by a mail truck. Broke my leg in two places, had a cast on for about six months. I was in the first grade."
Sounds like a pretty traumatic experience. But now, a happy development:
With Dan McGivern of Iowa City. Driver, when I ran into traffic & took on his car @ age 6 #LifeSaver #DefiningMoment pic.twitter.com/UOM055euuY
— Coach Harbaugh (@CoachJim4UM) January 26, 2017
Harbaugh apparently views McGivern as a hero, thinking the accident could have been much worse. The coach even threw in a plug for McGivern’s insurance business:
For comprehensive Life Insurance coverage, call Dan McGivern at 319-351-4307 pic.twitter.com/m0d0Af1TpQ
— Coach Harbaugh (@CoachJim4UM) January 26, 2017
We lack details on exactly how this meetup happened. It was in Coralville, Iowa, according to the geotag on one of Harbaugh’s tweets. Michigan is recruiting four-star 2017 receiver Oliver Martin, of nearby Iowa City, and Harbaugh was reportedly visiting him. He got to meet more than a recruit while he was on his trip.