2019 was a difficult year for many members of the Alabama football team. Whether it was young players tossed into the fire, first-time coaches facing scrutiny, there was a lot to try and overcome.
Senior linebacker Joshua McMillon may have had the highest peak to climb. Not only did he miss the entire season but prior to his injury, he had worked his way into a starting position.
But McMillon is not throwing in the towel yet, as he still has aspirations with this Crimson Tide team.
“It was just a bad taste left in my mouth from this past year,” said McMillon during a Zoom call on Tuesday. “Going 11-2, I don’t want to end my college career on a bad note like that. I don’t think anyone who came to the University of Alabama would want to end their season like that. Just being here, being a leader, seeing other guys in the past and not living up to that standard, it didn’t feel right leaving.”
Just before the season began, McMillon suffered a serious ACL and MCL tear ending his redshirt senior season, and new strength coaches David Ballou and Dr. Matt Rhea have been integral to helping him get back to full strength.
“It was a non-contact injury back in August,” said McMillon. “I went to go make a tackle and my knee kind of buckled inside and slightly left. Pretty much tore my ACL 90 percent. Really didn’t know my MCL was damaged my meniscus was damaged and that was just about it. But after that, had surgery and able to get back working, moving around fine.
“Scrimmage went fine, everything has been going good so far. Trusting Dr. Matt Rhea and (David) Ballou and everything has been going fine with the new sports science facility. I’ve been getting in there and doing some extra work. Everything’s been going good.”
Last season a pair of freshmen stepped into the lead the middle of the defense for Alabama in Christian Harris and Shane Lee both of whom had to fill the role of established members of the team like McMillon and also Dylan Moses.
Stepping into McMillon’s spot was Harris who received praise from the 6-foot-3 240-pound senior.
“Last year, I was very impressed,” said McMillon. “With him coming in, he’s never played linebacker, and he did a phenomenal job. Me coming in, knowing what I knew in my freshman year, I don’t think I’d be able to take on that load and be able to perform at that high standard, so my hat was off to him. I was with him day in and day out to encourage him, but I think he stepped up to the plate and did a phenomenal job.”
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Patrick Dowd is a Reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter, via Pat_Dowd77
