All through their lives, both John and Jim Harbaugh have been competing against each other in any and every way they could think of. While it usually was a one-on-one competition, it now has reached the professional level as they maneuver their chess pieces on the football gridiron in the hulking forms of 53-man NFL rosters of the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers. This will reach a media frenzy crescendo on Thursday night as their respective teams face each other on national TV for the Thanksgiving night game on the NFL Network .

However, despite the attention this sibling rivalry will get this week, it is really nothing new to the brothers, their father Jack, nor the rest of the Harbaugh family. It started when they were young boys in Michigan and the competition included everything and anything they could challenge each other at, from cards, to wrestling to seeing who could run down the steps to dinner faster.

A heartwarming story in the San Jose Mercury News details the close-knit family's life highlighted by the Harbaugh brothers constant competition as they grew from kids to young men and now to the National Football League about to face each other for the first time as head coaches. Imagine the pride the entire family must feel, especially their father, whose own coaching experience drove his boys to emulate him in the same style he raised them and now will nervously and excitedly watch the reward for his efforts come to fruition on the ultimate stage.

Ultimate, that is, unless they happen to face each other again in February in a slightly bigger game than this week's contest.

See more stories on the Harbaugh brothers by clicking on the links below:

Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Washington Post