Jim Harbaugh once played Screech’s cousin on ‘Saved By the Bell’

The next time I talk to perennially grumpy San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh, I'll have some leverage to ensure that he talks longer than six minutes on his media conference calls: Coach, give with the multi-sentence answers, or I'll publish a post on Shutdown Corner containing video proof that you once played Screech's cousin on "Saved By the Bell."

Whoops -- too late. Guess we published it anyway.

Harbaugh's entrance is just in time -- protagonist Eric has fallen out of love with football after a bumpy ride, and it's up to Harbaugh (then a quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts) to save the day.

"Sounds like you were thinking more about yourself than you were the team," Harbaugh opined, after hearing that Eric did his touchdown dance on the 2-yard line. "People think I'm a hero because I can throw a football, but I wouldn't be anything without my teammates. When you start to think you're a big shot, that's when you usually get into trouble."

Words to live by. Harbaugh then went the extra mile, agreeing to be the "Hero" subject in young Eric's Communications class.

"I'm here because my friend Eric has learned the hard way that being famous does not make you a hero," Harbaugh said in front of the students. "Being a hero isn't about what you do out there on the field. It's about who you are -- in here."

Harbaugh then pointed to his heart, proving that some people just have a knack for acting.

"It's about helping your friends, your school, and your community."

Great sentiments, and everybody got an "A." We were inspired by Harbaugh's words, by his pseudo-Tom Cruise look, and by the fact that even grumpy coaches have skeletons in their closets.