Alabama's Jalen Milroe says Bill O'Brien told him not to play quarterback
BOSTON -- Bill O'Brien's return to New England has not gone swimmingly, as he was brought in to fix a broken offense but has struggled to get the job done. And now he's taking a warranted shot from someone with his previous employer.
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe -- who led the Crimson Tide to a 12-1 record and a spot in the College Football Playoff -- spoke to the media on Thursday ahead of Monday's Rose Bowl Game and was asked if anyone has ever told him to play a different position during his career.
"Shoot, you know, all my life, even when I was in college. Shoot, my own offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien told me I shouldn't play quarterback," Milroe said. "So, you know, there's a lot of things I can have motivation on, and that is something I have motivation from."
Milroe was asked what his reaction to O'Brien's message was.
"How would you feel if I told you you sucked?" Milroe replied to the reporter. That reporter then indicated he would not like it very much.
"OK then. So that's exactly how I felt, you know what I'm saying?" Milroe said. "So like, biggest thing for me is to be true to myself and stay the same. Nothing changed about me. Only thing that changed about me is I had an opportunity and I seized it."
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe says his former OC and current Patriots OC Bill O'Brien told him he should not be a quarterback.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 28, 2023
"How would you feel if I told you that you sucked?"
"Look where I'm at right now. So who gets the last laugh?"pic.twitter.com/xurEAr61ge
O'Brien was Alabama's offensive coordinator for Milroe's redshirt season in 2021 and his freshman season in 2022, when Milroe was Bryce Young's backup.
Milroe didn't get too much game action during O'Brien's brief tenure running the offense, but when he did, he threw three touchdowns and six interceptions while rushing for 320 yards and a touchdown.
This season, Milroe has thrown for 2,718 yards with 23 touchdowns and six interceptions while rushing for 468 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Milroe finished sixth in Heisman voting, and he now has the opportunity to lead the Crimson Tide to a national championship. He'll return to Tuscaloosa next year, giving himself another year to prove himself as a quarterback worth being taken in the NFL Draft. He may still have a way to go in that regard. At the very least, though, he's already proven O'Brien wrong.