LOS ANGELES–Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe doesn’t pull any punches when he talks about previous Tide offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien.
He still carries the scars of O’Brien discouraging him from playing quarterback in the SEC.
“How would you feel if I told you, ‘You suck?” is the way Milroe remembers the conversation.
He didn’t like the suggestion.
“Biggest thing for me, be true to myself and stay the same,” he said. “Only thing that’s changed was that I had opportunity and I seized it.”
Milroe went on to say that O’Brien told him there’s a bunch of positions he could have switched to from quarterback.
“But look where I am right now,” Milroe said. “Who gets the last laugh?”
O’Brien left last season to become the offensive coordinator for the NFL New England Patriots.
He was replaced by former Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Reiss, a one-time Irish quarterback, who has put him in position to become a star.
It just took a while for Milroe to find his bliss.
After a slow start, Milroe has solidified himself as the starter for Monday’s College Football Playoff against top-seeded Michigan at the Rose Bowl.
Alabama was looking for a new quarterback after Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young left for the NFL as the No. 1 pick by the Carolina.
Panthers. Milroe won the job but his status was tenuous and head coach Nick Saban benched him in Week 3 against South Florida after he threw two interceptions in a Week 2 loss to
Texas at Tuscaloosa. Milroe’s second pick that day at the Alabama 5-yard line set up the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.
But Milroe got the job back in Week 4 and has since led the one-loss Tide to 10 straight wins including a dramatic game winning touchdown pass against Auburn in a
fourth-and-31 situation that set up a win over defending national champion Georgia in the SEC championship game at Atlanta.
Milroe finished the season completing 65.5 percent of his passes for 10.3 yards per attempt and 226.5 yards per game with 23 touchdowns and six interceptions.
He added 468 yards and 12 touchdowns on the ground with 12 touchdowns to become a dynamic dual threat.
“When you look at me, you don’t think I play quarterback,” he admitted. “You think I play defensive back, linebacker, tight end. You don’t think I play quarterback.”’
But he is still two wins away from a national championship and he is letting his distractors know it.
The SEC has owned this playoff since it started in 2014. Alabama has won three times, Georgia twice and LSU once.
But this is the first time the Tide will be underdogs.
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh gave the Tide some unexpected bulletin board material when he was asked about Milroe, he compared him to his backup quarterback. .
“He reminds me of a more polished Alex Orji, given Orji is Michigan’s “scariest, most athletic player.”
His attempt at a compliment fell flat, given Milroe was a Heisman candidate this season and Orji has one career pass attempt and 17 career rushes for 106 yards and three touchdowns.
Milroe is an x-factor whose confidence and passing accuracy has grown. ”Growing up, I went to camp, they looked at me as a receiver and they saw me as not
playing the quarterback position,” he said.” beat all odds by playing quarterback and that is something that I try to do as much as possible.”
Milroe’s growth as a player has mirrored the improvement of his team.
“Honestly, from the first game to all the way to now, he’s looked like two different players, but it’s the same person,” wide receiver Isaiah Bond said. “Confidence plays a big role
on the football field. If you don’t have trust, confidence, you’re not going to even play to your full potential. So, believe in yourself is the main key part and he’s done that.”
