The dawning of a new age in Tuscaloosa became more of a reality in Dallas this week with a fresh face representing the Alabama Crimson Tide at SEC Media Days, Kalen DeBoer. The former Washington Huskies head coach has a tough act to follow at Alabama, with the iconic Nick Saban hanging up his whistle after earning six national championships with the Crimson Tide.
Thankfully for DeBoer, he’ll have a steady hand on the wheel of his offense. Jalen Milroe will line up behind center for the Crimson Tide following a breakout campaign as a redshirt sophomore last year. DeBoer wasted no time praising his new quarterback for not just his athletic abilities but also his character and leadership between games.
Kalen DeBoer Impressed By Jalen Milroe’s Leadership Off the Field
Milroe was the last quarterback under Saban, and he gave the legendary coach a fitting sendoff. The Crimson Tide finished No. 5 overall after a 12-2 campaign and a College Football Playoff appearance, while Milroe tossed for 2,834 yards, 23 touchdowns, and six interceptions, with another 531 yards and 12 scores on the ground.
When DeBoer took over the helm in Saban’s stead, the first thing he recognized after getting to know Milroe was how effectively he commands his team. Three years under one of the game’s most commanding coaches seems to have rubbed off on the redshirt junior from Katy, Texas.
“Well, I think that’s something that you see with Jalen, what he is, and I can just look back last week, a moment with our team — not to get into the details — but him standing up and speaking out,” DeBoer said at the podium during SEC Media Days.
“Positive but also accountability. That mix of everything that great leaders do. Building up their teammates, but also just reminding them of what it’s going to take for us to reach the goals that we have. He does a great job of balancing that. I think he’s grown in a lot of ways when it comes to that area.”
DeBoer further commended Milroe as a leader by example, stating he’s one of the first people in the team facility every morning.
“(Milroe) just dives into it,” DeBoer said. “There’s no one that’s going to beat him into the football facility from the players’ vantage point. He’s there 4:30, 5:00 for sure every single day, and I know there’s guys that have tried to beat him into the facility, and they can’t.
“But when he’s there, it isn’t just punching in the clock. He’s done a great job being efficient, doing everything he can, whether it’s mentally, physically, to be ready for this fall.”
Milroe Just as Impressive on the Field
DeBoer gushed over his new quarterback’s facility habits plenty, but it’s Milroe’s electric dynamism on the gridiron that really has the first-year Alabama coach fired up.
“We’ve got to talk about what he does on the football field,” DeBeor said at SEC Media Days. “He’s got a skill set that is special. With his arm, he can make you pay, and he can make the throws. And I think he’s continued to grow in that area.”
Milroe’s work off the field has extended on it even in the offseason, with DeBoer believing Milroe is “building confidence in himself, just tirelessly working with the receiving corps. Actually, all the skill players, just to be on the same page.
“I think he’s continued to expand on his game with the different throws he can make. Down the field, he’s been strong. A year ago, he was one of the best in the country with down-the-field throws. I think he’s continued to work on those higher-percentage throws that you need to move the chains and all of that.”
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