EUGENE, Ore. (KOIN) – It’s Justin Herbert’s second year in the NFL, and any doubters of the former Oregon Ducks’ draft process were silenced as the quarterback led his Los Angeles Chargers to the brink of a playoff berth this year.

However, back in his hometown of Eugene, those who know Herbert best have never questioned his ability to lead.

Lane Johnson, Herbert’s high school coach at Sheldon in Eugene, said it wasn’t a total shock to see his former player succeed on a professional level.

“Just to watch him go into the huddle and watch the other guys look at him because here’s this 22-year-old kid who’s supposed to be the back up and now he’s calling the shots, it didn’t take long for him to win the huddle,” Johnson said. “My hunch is he probably won it in practice so it wasn’t a total shock.”

Herbert’s leadership style has been a huge key for the Chargers’ success, which Johnson said he saw the foundation of during his time at Sheldon.

“When we scored a touchdown, we would celebrate as an offense or as a defense and you watch Justin, he’s not [out to] pound his chest, put his hands up in the air,” he said, adding that Herbert “runs down to the end zone and gets in with the linemen, whoever scored the touchdown. To me, that’s great leadership.”

This leadership quality took even more root after what could have been a devastating injury, ruining Herbert’s career, in high school. Just three games into his junior year, Herbert broke his femur, causing him to miss the rest of the season and fall off the radar of many college scouts.

“I said, ‘Justin, not that I’m going to be of much help, but I’ll help ya get your name out there.’ He said, ‘Coach, I’m not going to miss the Sheldon workout to go work out for my benefit,'” Johnson recalled, adding, “Justin Herbert, his ‘I’ll do it, you guys follow,’ that to me is leadership and him saying to me, ‘Coach I’m not going to miss a workout,’ it warms my heart.”

Johnson credited the village that raised Herbert, starting with his parents, for helping develop the steadiness in the quarterback fans see today.

“His parents are as good of people as I’ve ever been around but then you go a little further than that and the grandparents on both sides,” Johnson said. “It was magical to watch them be around these boys.”

To compare Herbert’s very young NFL career to that of legends cannot be done, but Johnson said he would make comparisons to one of the game’s best quarterbacks.

“Peyton Manning to me was never a screamer or yeller, he was just a go out and get it done, so I kind of liken him to Peyton Manning,” Johnson said. “To me, to be a great leader, you’ve got to make everyone around you better, not by telling them, but by showing them and that’s what Justin’s done.”