A significant motivator to a quarterback at any level of football is having the support of its head coach.
Nick Saban is firmly behind Jalen Milroe as the frontman for the University of Alabama on offense. He stated Monday about how Milroe had earned the right to be the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback moving forward. Coach Saban has not changed his stance as he told Pat McAfee that Milroe is still the guy and he ‘has nothing to prove.’ The sophomore did not play versus South Florida, but Milroe showed leadership in supporting Tyler Buchner and Ty Simpson. He used the uncomfortable situation as motivation and Milroe’s energy in practice for Ole Miss has been great. Saban said he has ‘confidence’ in Milroe as the leader.
“Everybody handles frustration a little differently and I think sometimes you gotta make it a motivator..
Jalen Milroe did that this week and he’s the guy that I have confidence in” ~ Nick Saban#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/wEWjd3mP3M
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 21, 2023
“We started this conversation with the fact that we maybe need to look at somebody else to play this position,” Saban said.
RELATED: How Jalen Milroe, Alabama offense has looked at practice this week per Nick Saban
“It may last for a quarter or whatever, but then you have to get ready to play and I want to see how you handle it. Everyone handles frustration differently. I think sometimes you have to direct your frustration and make it a motivator. You can get upset by it, you can get angry by it, but you can also get motivated by it. We want our players, when these things happen, to direct their feelings to help them be better players. Jalen did that this week, and I am pleased with his performance. He has nothing to prove here. He is the guy. I just had a meeting with him and we cleaned up some fundamental things.”
People, including those in national media, have questioned Saban’s benching of Milroe and going back to him, but a method has always been to Saban’s process. The native Texan has a chance to start Alabama’s SEC schedule right with a dominant showing against Mississippi. Pete Golding, a former defensive coordinator for the Tide, coached against Milroe in practice for two years.
RELATED: Nick Saban revealed who will be Alabama’s backup QB against Ole Miss
Now, he’s ready to cut loose and show the nation how dynamic he is.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
