All he ever needed was the right voice in his ear, and the right motivation by his side.
Jalen Milroe was never short of talent.
He came to the University of Alabama as a four-star quarterback from Thompkins High School (Katy, Texas) in the 2021 class. Milroe is gifted athletically, but he had one offensive coordinator that did not believe in him (Bill O’Brien) and another one who did not know how to consistently use him (Tommy Rees).
One can only imagine the frustration he went through in 2022 and 2023 as a backup to Bryce Young and a first-year starter. Milroe channeled what he heard from O’Brien in 2022 to make him a force the next season. He carried the Crimson Tide to a Southeastern Conference Championship and a College Football Playoff berth in 2023, regardless of not starting Alabama’s game versus South Florida.
RELATED: Kalen DeBoer shows utmost confidence Alabama freshman WR, Caleb Odom
Milroe finished with 2,834 passing yards, 531 rushing yards, and 35 total touchdowns, earning permanent team captain honors from his teammates. He opens the Kalen DeBoer era as a team captain, but Milroe is excited that football is fun for him again. In his media availability on Tuesday, the redshirt junior credits Nick Sheridan for restoring joy to the game for him.
The relationship between Alabama OC Nick Sheridan and QB Jalen Milroe is special:
“He believes in me. He loves me. There is nothing greater than that. You want to do your best for a coach that’s behind you,” Milroe on Sheridan.@TDAlabamaMag @TouchdownETP pic.twitter.com/48KTWBJyV4
— Stephen M. Smith (@CoachingMSmith) August 27, 2024
“He believes in me and he loves me,” Milroe said about his relationship with Sheridan.
“And, I think there is nothing greater than that. Beyond any X’s and O’s and going over schemes, it is the belief system that a coach has in a player. You are going to want to play for a coach and do your best because you have a coach that is behind you and wants the best for you. That is something I have seen from our time period of him getting here until now, it has been fun.”
Milroe said Sheridan has ‘made football fun.’
“To be around him, it has been awesome,” he said. “I continue to enjoy our relationship.”
RELATED: Which Alabama coaches will be on the field/in press box this season?
Alabama could not have found a better fit for Milroe than Sheridan. The 36-year-old was a quarterback at the University of Michigan who went through a coaching change like Milroe.
Sheridan went from Lloyd Carr to Rich Rodriguez, and he learned how to deal with the transition.
He has been able to guide Milroe from Nick Saban to Coach DeBoer with relative ease.
Sheridan took Michael Penix from an athletic talent and turned him into a two-time 4,000-plus yard passer and a Pac-12 Champion at the University of Washington. Penix was selected at No. 8 by the Atlanta Falcons in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Sheridan is looking to making Milroe his next high round selection at quarterback.
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber-only content!*
Stephen M. Smith is the senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
