Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe said his former offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien once told him he shouldn't play quarterback.
Milroe was answering a question about having doubters while speaking to reporters ahead of Alabama's College Football Playoff against the Michigan Wolverines, when he said O'Brian was one of his opponents.
“My whole life, even when I was in college, my own offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien told me I shouldn't play quarterback,” Milroe said Thursday.
“There's a lot of things I had motivation for, and that's something that added the motivation.”
Milroe joined the Crimson Tide in 2021, the same year O'Brien was hired by Alabama, and has since blossomed as Bryce Young's successor following the 54-year-old coach's departure to become the New England Patriots' offensive coordinator. become.
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe said his ex-offensive coordinator told him not to play QB
His former offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien now works as the New England Patriots OC
Milroe thrived as a QB since O'Brien's departure and led Alabama to the SEC title
“How would you feel if someone told you you were bad?” Milroe said in response to a follow-up question about how O'Brien's comments made him feel.
'The most important thing for me is staying true to myself and staying the same. Nothing changed about me. The only thing that changed was that I was given an opportunity, and I took it.
“And so the most important thing for me was to stay true to myself and add a greater purpose to someone's opinion…
“He told me there are some positions I could have moved into, but look where I am now. So who will laugh last?'
In his first full season as Alabama's starting QB, Milroe has thrown for 2,718 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions. He has also picked up 468 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground.
Milroe also led the Crimson Tide to an SEC Championship win over the then No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs, allowing them to make the CFB playoff this year.
O'Brien and the Patriots, on the other hand, have limped to a 4-11 record this season and rumors are swirling that the coaching staff will look for new jobs once the season ends.
Milroe says he is not a finished product and that he still has plenty of room to improve. But after these back-to-back historic wins, both the quarterback and his Tide teammates are confident Milroe's skills and resilience will give them a chance against the powerhouse Wolverines.
Milroe has drawn comparisons to Lamar Jackson for his unique duel threat skills
This season he has thrown for 2,718 yards, 23 TDs and six INTs while getting 468 and 12 TDs
“I think the biggest thing was to hug each other hard,” Milroe said, echoing a line from coach Nick Saban.
“For a quarterback to succeed in the SEC and play at an elite level, you have to embrace hard, because there are a lot of uncertainties while playing the position, and you have to have the right, right mentality,” Milroe added. . “The most important thing is to have the right mental approach to the games, the week and everything that comes with being a starting quarterback, especially in the SEC. That's the most important thing: trying to learn as much as possible.'
Although Milroe prefers to pass, he is an all-around athlete who can run aggressively and physically. Michigan defensive coordinator Jesse Minter doesn't bite on comparisons to NFL star Lamar Jackson, but said Milroe is a great dual-threat.
“It's not like a quarterback scrambling and sliding and making sure you don't hit him so you don't get a penalty,” Minter said. “This guy will run like a legitimate tailback or a legitimate slot receiver once he gets in space.”
In addition to his obvious skills, Milroe has built a reputation as a tenacious competitor who wants to push his team forward. He etched that determination into Alabama lore when he stepped up and threw in the final minute of the Iron Bowl a miraculous touchdown pass for Isaiah Bond on fourth-and-31.
“I went home for the holidays, and that's all I heard,” Milroe said with a grin. “Being around family and saying, 'What was going through your mind during that play?' Well, you had to be there.'
Milroe beat out two contenders for the starting job last summer, but that only lasted until Week 2, when a two-interception performance in the Tide's home loss to Texas prompted Saban to bench him.
When both of his backups struggled, the benching lasted just one week. After cheers from the sidelines, Milroe returned and promptly led Alabama to a win over Ole Miss.
“I looked at it as a learning opportunity,” Milroe said. 'Looked in the mirror. I've thought of a few things I need to improve. At the end of the day, it's about being the right teammate, the best teammate I can be. I use the acronym FAMILY: Forget About Me, I Love You. That was critical going into that week. … When it was someone else's opportunity to play, I just tried to be the best teammate I could be.”