Jalen Milroe Says Former Alabama OC Bill O'Brien Told Him He Shouldn't Play QB

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe is no stranger to detractors, but he revealed that he once had to overcome his own coach believing he wasn't capable of playing the quarterback position.

"All my life, even when I was in college, my own offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien told me I shouldn't play quarterback," Milroe told reporters on Thursday. "There's a lot of things I had motivation on, and that's something that added motivation."

Milroe joined Alabama in 2021, the same year O'Brien was hired to the team's coaching staff. O'Brien departed after the 2022 season to return to the NFL as offensive coordinator for the New England Patriots, and Milroe thrived this year without him.

In his first year as the full-time starter for the Crimson Tide, Milroe threw for 2,718 yards, 23 touchdowns and six interceptions while also adding 468 rushing yards and 12 more scores. He helped lead Alabama to an SEC championship and a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals, where the team will face Michigan on New Year's Day.

"He told me a bunch of positions I could have switched to but look where I'm at right now," Milroe added. "So who gets the last laugh?"

When asked how he reacted to O'Brien's recommendation, Milroe responded, "How would you feel if I told you you suck?"

He continued: "That's exactly how I felt. The biggest thing for me is to be true to myself and stay the same. Nothing changed about me. Only thing that changed about me was I had opportunity and I seized it. For me, the biggest thing was just stay true to myself and add a bigger purpose to anyone's opinion."

Milroe did just that, as he has the Crimson Tide one game away from playing for another national championship.