NEW ORLEANS -- Jim Harbaugh will never forget when legendary coach Bill Walsh left a voicemail asking if he had interest in coaching at Stanford.
Given his immense respect for Walsh, this was a big deal. Unfortunately for the San Francisco 49ers coach, this message exists only in memory after a possible restroom catastrophe.
"I was intending to leave that message on my phone for the rest of my life, but I lost that phone or dropped it in the toilet or something," Harbaugh said Thursday, drawing laughter from reporters. "I can't remember which it was, I lost it or dropped it in the can, but I don't have that message anymore. Truly one of the most memorable things was getting that message."
Breer: The truth about a bold move
Colin Kaepernick over Alex Smith wasn't always a no-brainer. Albert Breer has the inside story behind a difficult decision. **More ...**
Walsh was the architect behind the San Francisco 49ers' dynasty of the 1980s before coaching and consulting with Stanford in his final years. When Harbaugh took over as coach at Stanford, he had the opportunity to work alongside an idol. Walsh died in 2007 at the age of 75.
"He would come in and one of our favorite things to do was to sit down and watch recruiting tape with our offensive staff," Harbaugh recalled. "There was one day in particular that we had all of the quarterbacks lined up, there were seven or eight quarterbacks.
"There were a lot of names that you'd all know that are playing big-time college football and professional football. Coach Walsh was with us and we ranked them. My memory is that Andrew Luck was his, and our, favorite."
Good taste. Luck eventually committed to Stanford and had a hugely successful collegiate career before moving to the NFL. Harbaugh and Walsh had hit on their QB scouting. Hardly a shocker.
Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.