Los Angeles Chargers star safety Derwin James Jr. knew that he was heading to U.S. Coast Guard Air Station San Diego to do some training exercises with the men and women serving there.
What he did not know was he would be leaving with newfound leadership tactics that he is bringing to the football field in 2024.
Thanks to USAA, the official "Salute to Service" partner of the NFL, James was able to participate in rigorous mock rescue mission training, as well as pursuit training in the open ocean at Sector San Diego.
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"They really gave me a once-in-a-life-time experience," he told Fox News Digital over the phone.
The first task for James was pursuit training, as the Coast Guard deals with frequent smuggling in the waters surrounding the base.
Lt. Jo Green, the command external affairs officer at Sector San Diego, explained that James would be with a team on their "fastest smallboat," which goes "upwards of 50 knots," and it would be chasing another Coast Guard boat that is simulating a smuggling vessel refusing to stop.
Next, James was going to be used as a rescue victim in open waters. Traveling by helicopter, James was set as the "PIW," or person in the water, and was lowered down in a basket into the ocean.
When asked if he was nervous at all throughout the training, James said he immediately felt comfortable because of the servicemembers around him.
"To be honest, when I first thought of it, I was like, ‘Man, I’m with the U.S. Coast Guard. If I’m safe with anybody, I’m the safest with them.’ That’s how I kinda looked at it," he said. "But in the moment, it was surreal to me when I’m hanging above the water in that helicopter about to launch down. That’s when the moment became real. Up until that point, I was good. I had confident people around me, a team around me. They were helping me, giving me cues and pointers. When that moment came, it was time to play."
James noted how much of a workout it was treading water even with his life vest on, but him seeing the waves crash into him and being out with no land in sight, put things into perspective for him.
"I can’t thank them enough, honestly, giving me that experience because I would’ve never got to experience nothing like that," he explained. "I can’t just go pay for an experience like that anywhere in the world. For them to handpick me, I just feel honored and blessed because I realize all the sacrifices they make with their families every day. Just to get a sneak peek of it, a glimpse. That’s not even the real things that they do, but just to get a glimpse, I got that much more appreciation for them."
James mentioned during the video of the training that, just like on a football field, things can go awry during these missions. However, he knows these servicemembers have worked hard to build their fundamentals, trust their teammates around them and stay in the moment when the going gets tough.
Yeah, that sounds pretty familiar to James.
"They made me feel confident, and it actually helped me in my leadership," he said. "I’m like, ‘Man, I need to make my guys feel this comfortable. Rookies and stuff coming in.’ They made me feel like I’ve already been on the job, and that’s what made it easier. That lets you know I kinda relate it to football in that aspect, where you’re depending on other people.
"Yeah, we’re playing for this, but hey, it may change. The whole mission may have to change with this one decision, or something happens, and you just got to depend on the people around you with experience. I was able to do that first-hand and I got to see that."
James continues to train with his teammates in preparation for the 2024 regular season, which is right around the corner.
He is being looked at by new head coach Jim Harbaugh as someone to provide leadership in the locker room and on the field, and while he was confident in his abilities to do that prior to this intensive training, James' leadership qualities are more fortified because of those men and women he met in the Coast Guard.
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