Jim Harbaugh’s staff set up hurdles on the field for Day 1 of his first training camp as an NFL coach.
The weight room is now outside and right at the ready.
Motivational banners hang from different areas around 49ers team headquarters, some featuring the very words Harbaugh used during a successful stint at nearby Stanford.
A new era began Friday for a franchise that is counting on the former star quarterback to change the culture and turn San Francisco back into a winner.
And fast.
The Niners are paying him $5 million a year to make that happen, and Harbaugh faces the daunting task of not only meeting his players but also preparing them in a matter of weeks for their preseason opener Aug. 12 at New Orleans.
Things got off to a rough start since the NFL ended its lockout. Harbaugh has lost unexpected players to free agency and others to hold out.
Friday, on the first day of training camp, he lost one of his rookies, Curtis Holcomb, after rupturing his Achilles tendon during a conditioning test Thursday.
