Jalen Milroe Looking to Finish Tide Season Strong
Jalen Milroe Looking to Finish Tide Season Strong
By Joey Johnston
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe is expected to enter the NFL draft. It makes sense. ESPN has Milroe ranked fourth among the draft-eligible quarterbacks, behind Colorado's Shedeur Sanders, Miami's Cam Ward and Texas' Quinn Ewers.
But here's a twist on the modern-day pattern.
Milroe, a redshirt junior, hasn't yet declared for the draft. First things first. He said he's pouring his energies into the Dec. 31 ReliaQuest Bowl at Raymond James Stadium, when the Crimson Tide (9-3) faces the Michigan Wolverines (7-5).
Milroe's message was clear to Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer.
"We started the season out against Western Kentucky together and we're going to finish the season together,''Milroe said. "I told him we're going to finish the season on a bang. One of our program's core values is to finish. So I'm finishing the season with my brothers in Tampa.''
Milroe also might have some unfinished business.
In last season's College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl, Milroe caught a low snap on fourth down and ran into an impenetrable Michigan line, falling 2 yards short of the end zone and ending the game for the Wolverines, 27-20 in overtime.
With Alabama's familiar withering atmosphere - national championship or bust - Milroe has passed for 2,652 yards,15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions with a 65.9-percent completion rate. He rushed for 719 yards and an eye-popping 20 touchdowns. And, of course, Milroe was omnipresent in the wild 41-34 win against Georgia, passing for 374 yards and accounting for four touchdowns.
DeBoer said he still believes inMilroe, despite some offensive struggles in the defeats against Vanderbilt, Tennessee and Oklahoma.
"He was fighting and battling and doing a lot of things well for our football team,'' DeBoer said. "At times, we've all just needed to be a little better. I think he has come a long ways all season long. With the way he goes out there and keeps leading the team, the guys have kept fighting for him.
"I just told him to keep going out there and have no regrets, just go out there and keep swinging.''
Milroe had a significantly improved performance in the Iron Bowl victory against Auburn, which put Alabama in a better frame of mind heading into the bowl game.
"The biggest thing we did was embrace how much this game means to the fans in the state of Alabama and also the seniors,'' Milroe said. "We competed. We enjoyed the win and the process that we've had.
"Each hardship and each obstacle we've been through this season, we've done it together. There's beauty in the journey. We've shown tremendous grit and commitment level. There's room for growth and there are plays we'd like to get back. But now we have one more opportunity (in the ReliaQuest Bowl).''
Despite the up-and-down season, Milroe said he has relished playing for DeBoer.
"I love Coach DeBoer,'' Milroe said. "I love his commitment, his resiliency, his leadership. The shoes that he has filled (former Tide coach Nick Saban), with the position he's in, he's always working his tail off to be the best coach he can be for our football team.
"I respect him a lot, pushing me every day to be the best quarterback I can be. Just seeing his fight every day. It's not easy being a head coach in the SEC. He's one of the best coaches I've been around in terms of loving the game and loving the process. I've loved leading this team and working with him.''
Now Milroe gets one more chance -at least.