July 17, 2024; Dallas, TX, USA; Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe spoke to the media at the Omni Dallas Hotel. Mandatory credit: Brett Patzke-USA TODAY Sports DALLAS — Jalen Milroe has three suits and is still wondering if he picked the right one for SEC Media Days on Wednesday.
A relatively small decision made Wednesday morning stands out as a great example of how things have changed in a year for Alabama’s starting quarterback.
“It comes down to the shoes. You have to start with the shoes when you start the outfit, so I wore black Pradas and then you build from there,” Milroe said of his outfit choices at the Omni Hotel on the third day of the SEC media meeting.
Milroe is back as the starter for Alabama, a position contested in fall camp and the first two weeks of the 2023 regular season under now-retired head coach Nick Saban. Milroe became the head at the end of the season, especially in the 27-24 SEC Championship game win that nudged Alabama into a somewhat unexpected return to the four-team College Football Playoff.
Alabama ended its season with a 27-20 overtime loss at Michigan in the Rose Bowl in a CFP semifinal game that Milroe wasn’t ready to let go of.
“We were blessed and lucky to be in the college playoffs, one game away. Do your burns have to be more than that close to the championship?” Milroe said of reference offensive lineman Tyler Booker earlier in the day to lead by that defeat.
“For us, we’re very happy and excited to achieve our short-term goals and long-term goals in this process and we can all reflect from that. We shared the same experience of Coach (Kalen) DeBoer in failing to win a national championship, so now we have to refocus and focus on the 2024 spring football season.”
A Texan who delivered thoughtful answers with a humble demeanor on Friday, Milroe quickly became a monster for Alabama last season. He focused on growing as a passer in the spring to better suit DeBoer’s wide-open passing attack.
He shared the field with several SEC quarterbacks at the Manning Passing Academy last month and Missouri’s Brady Cook said everything about Milroe being impressive.
“You can just talk to him directly, his personality is cool. He’s always smiling. He’s energetic. It’s just the way he interacts with people. He’s not too big for anyone. He’s not cool for anyone. So I respect his character,” said Cook.
Milroe returned from the bench against South Florida to account for 27 total touchdowns in the last 10 games. Booker said there was a new Milroe mode unlocked during his collaboration with DeBoer, who he considers an innovative offensive mind and whisperer.
“He wants to do what Jalen can do well, build, and other players can do offensively,” Booker said. “Letting Jalen play the game is the best thing we can do. At the end of the year, when Jalen starts playing the game and feels more comfortable running, that’s when he’s at his best.”
Not everyone is standing in the Milroe fanclub in Alabama, where the backup quarterback is a perennial fan favorite. Milroe is not worried about the change of mind or opinion, but any dead feed is still doubtful while remaining locked in the big picture.
“I think it’s the same (focus) – being the best version of myself, being the best midfielder in the country, learning, developing as a player, looking for all the information from the coaching staff, being a student of the game. It’s all about going 1-0,” he said. “It’s all about getting better and supporting my brother.”
DeBoer, who replaced Saban when the legend retired in January, knew a lot about Milroe as a quarterback and physical specimen before he entered the trenches with him. After six months together, the things that stand out about the midfielder are his positive leadership and commitment and his desire to improve.
“Nobody’s going to beat him into a football facility. He’s there at 4:30-5 a.m. for sure. I know guys who tried to beat him into that facility and couldn’t,” DeBoer said.
–Field Level Media
