It took a while until Jalen Milroe saw the field as a full-time quarterback for AlabamaBut his two years as a substitute were not in vain.
In an interview with Adam BrenemanMilroe explained how the two seasons off the field have made him the quarterback he is today. From a different perspective on the game to the time he took to improve his physical profile, it all helped Milroe break through and ultimately blossom as a quarterback in 2023.
“Honestly, I think the best thing for me was that I didn’t play when I first got to college,” Milroe said. “I learned from great quarterbacks who were in college football. First-hand, of course, Bryce (Young) here. But also the quarterbacks in college football and how well they play, whoever the best quarterback was in the years that I wasn’t the quarterback, it was great for me to not play, to pay attention, to look at football from a different perspective because ultimately that’s what made me better. Being off the field and learning to grow with the coaches that we’ve had here because we have a lot of guys that know the big picture – everyone that’s been here. So that’s what I’ve tried to continue to build on because whenever my time was available, it was time to execute and make the most of it.”
And while Milroe is grateful for the time he spent improving himself and his craft, he readily admitted that those two years weren’t all fun.
Beyond the glory of his Saturday win, Milroe toiled away without immediate rewards for his efforts, but he trusted that it would all pay off in the same way it did.
“The years leading up to this year honestly put me in this position because the work will get done at some point,” Milroe said. “And it was about sacrificing everything now to get everything you want in the future. There were days of tears, days of pain, bleeding, all of that was for moments like now and to get to the future. Because we all as a whole look at the present and what we want now. But now it’s more about the future feeling of, ‘What now gets done later?’
“And that’s what I tried to do. When I came in the building, even when I wasn’t the starter when I got here, I played the right way, took care of my body and tried to stay in shape physically. Over the years I’ve gotten stronger physically, that’s what I’ve tried to improve, so I can just say that the preparation in the offseason and the time I was here honestly catapulted me to where I am now.”
