Alabama’s Jalen Milroe Shares Mindset That Helped Him Overcome September Benching

The sophomore quarterback said his teammates fueled him to be the best version of himself when he was benched earlier this season.

When Alabama coach Nick Saban decided to bench Jalen Milroe ahead of the Crimson Tide’s victory against South Florida in September, the sophomore quarterback could have questioned his talent and let his emotions get the best of him.

At the time, Milroe had thrown for 449 yards, five touchdowns and two interceptions in two starts against Texas and Middle Tennessee State. Since the 6’ 2” signal-caller returned to the starting lineup against Ole Miss, Milroe has registered a total of 2,532 passing yards, 21 touchdowns and six interceptions.

Milroe has also led Alabama to nine consecutive wins that included a game-winning touchdown pass to Isaiah Bond to defeat Auburn in the Iron Bowl on Saturday. As Milroe prepares to face No. 1 Georgia (12–0) in the SEC championship game on Saturday afternoon, the 20-year-old reflected on how his teammates motivated him to play to a “different standard” and how that encouragement helped him become the “best version” of himself.

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“It wasn’t just me. It was this whole team that everybody kicked to the side,” Milroe told ESPN’s Chris Lowe. “… I also knew that if we were going to get to where we all wanted to get to, I had to play to a different standard. I had to look in the mirror and say, ‘How can I improve? How can I get better?’ And not just so I could win the position back. … It was about being there for everybody else around me, being the best version of me. … If I wasn’t good enough, then give somebody else a shot.”

Although Alabama’s chances of getting into this year’s CFP are slim, Milroe would love nothing better than to create chaos and hand the Bulldogs their first loss of the season in Atlanta. Kickoff for Saturday’s epic title game is set for 4 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium