Jim Harbaugh gives Pope Francis helmet, sneakers during Vatican visit

As Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines took their Italian vacation to the Vatican on Wednesday, the head coach had some neat gifts for Pope Francis.

Say what you want to — and plenty of people have expressed their opinion one way or another on it — but Michigan’s trip to Italy this week is something different for the Wolverines players who may never get a chance to visit the sites and experience a different world outside of Ann Arbor and the United States. It’s something head coach Jim Harbaugh has wanted his players to see and live when he planned the trip.

On Wednesday, the trip took a religious turn when Harbaugh and the team went to the Vatican for a meeting with Pope Francis. A devout Roman Catholic and grandson of an Italian immigrant, Harbaugh took the chance to do something that only he would do when given a chance to have an audience with the leader of his religion:

That’s right — Jim Harbaugh gave the leader of the Catholic Church, a man born and raised in Argentina who has probably never heard of the Wolverines before this week, a Michigan helmet with the Pope’s “number” of 266 on it along with some size 11 Jordan brand shoes. You know, for when the pontiff wants to have a casual mass service once in a while.

The trip seems to be just as important for the head coach as he wants it to be for his players. Harbaugh and his wife, Sarah, will have their newborn son John Paul baptized on Sunday while their daughter, Addie, will have her first communion, both taking place at the Vatican according to ESPN.com:

"“This is as good as it gets,” Harbaugh said. “This has been the experience of my lifetime.”"

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The Wolverines will get back to football with the first of three practices on Thursday in the country, after which several of Harbaugh’s players will stay in Europe to do study abroad programs and continue their culture experience.