“A human computer chip for a brain”

Since his first day as Chargers coach, Jim Harbaugh has been impressed with Justin Herbert's leadership qualities. The fifth-year quarterback “leads from the front,” Harbaugh praised.

Unless Herbert gets out of a broken elevator.

When about a dozen members of the Chargers' traveling party were trapped in a Dallas elevator last month, Herbert was the last to climb the ladder and escape. Everyone else was trapped for two hours and was able to crawl through a ceiling panel before him.

The gesture only strengthened Harbaugh's belief in the young star the Chargers want to follow to success.

“In every way, he's probably the best leader I've ever known,” Harbaugh said Wednesday.

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Hoping for improvement after the Chargers' 5-12 season, Herbert described his eventful preseason, which included a foot injury that sidelined him for two weeks and the elevator incident that only seemed funny in retrospect, as “a fun test.”

“I definitely learned a lot from things you don’t want to experience in the preseason,” Herbert said with a smile.

Herbert has been healthy since the team announced on July 31 that the 26-year-old was diagnosed with a plantar fascia injury in his right foot. On Wednesday, during his first press conference since the first week of training camp, he said the injury had developed over time but was not severe enough to keep him from playing in games during the season. Although he could have “fought through it” and played in games, Herbert instead worked with the training staff to manage the pain with a protective boot in hopes it would not flare up again.

“When he came back, it was like he hadn't missed anything,” said receiver Derius Davis. “He came back and threw the dimes.”

Without longtime Chargers receivers Mike Williams and Keenan Allen, Herbert is working with new talent at nearly every position. The Chargers have signed former Baltimore Ravens running backs JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards, as well as free-agent receiver DJ Chark Jr., who missed Wednesday's practice with a hip injury. The seventh-year player from Louisiana State has been the most productive receiver in the untested group.

Despite his injury, Herbert stayed in touch with his teammates in meetings and from the sidelines. Even while throwing during informal practice sessions, he was able to watch his teammates run and memorize their movement patterns to make up for missed practice time.

“Those are the reps you want back,” Herbert said. “You don't want to lose those, especially during the preseason when you're not playing, practice is everything to you. Missing that was definitely tough, but … we did a great job of not missing too much. When I wasn't at practice, I watched it, we went through film, met and talked about it.”

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After trying out different shoes and cleats during his gradual return to practice, Herbert doesn't expect the injury to hamper him this season, but he will continue to work with trainers on treatment and management. His preseason absence highlighted how valuable the $262.5 million man is to the team, as backup quarterback Easton Stick struggled so much that general manager Joe Hortiz traded him for the experienced Taylor Heinicke. Last month, Harbaugh compared Herbert's return to hearing angels sing.

After watching Herbert all season, the coach said he ran out of adjectives to adequately describe the former Pro Bowl player. On Wednesday, he offered a new analogy.

“He's like a human computer chip brain,” Harbaugh said. “The way he thinks, the way he processes, absorbs, retains and transmits information is really impressive.”

Herbert, who studied science in Oregon, won the 2019 William V. Campbell Award, the “academic Heisman.” The award recognizes outstanding achievements in academics, athletics and leadership.

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Herbert continued to show his leadership skills with the Chargers, calmly navigating the broken elevator at the team hotel. He was one of only two people with cell reception and called for help. The emergency responders on the phone assured the group it would take 15 or 20 minutes. It took more than two hours.

As the temperature rose in the cramped elevator and it felt like oxygen was running out, the players took the opportunity to socialize. Everyone stood shoulder to shoulder, telling jokes and laughing to keep from panicking.

“We just have a lot of cool guys,” said offensive lineman Foster Sarell, a backup tackle. “Nobody really flinches too much. … I feel like that's what you expect from an athlete, just because we've trained a lot in adversity.”

Herbert, Sarell and offensive lineman Zion Johnson were the last to exit the elevator. They held the bottom of the ladder to keep it from swaying while people climbed to safety. While they were in the elevator shaft, Sarell made sure to take a photo to capture the moment.

The rescue mission hasn't stopped players from taking elevators again, Sarell said, but when he's in an elevator with a “fellow survivor,” they give each other knowing looks. Herbert said he takes the stairs at every opportunity in the team facility.

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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.