Nick Saban credits growth, impact of Jalen Milroe ahead of SEC Championship

One of the big reasons why Alabama finds itself in the SEC Championship is the development of QB Jalen Milroe. He has come far and will now lead the Crimson Tide into Atlanta for a date with Georgia on Saturday.

During his weekly appearance on ‘The Pat McAfee Show,’ Nick Saban once again spoke about the development of his redshirt sophomore. He started by going back to Milroe’s “benching” in Alabama’s third game this season and noted how that changed the trajectory of his year because of how he responded to that decision.

“Well, I hate to use the term that he was ever benched. I think it was an opportunity to see what other players could do,” explained Saban. “He responded the right way and worked on trying to become a better player at his position to be able to distribute the ball to the players so they could make plays.”

Milroe has answered since that day in Tampa by helping ‘Bama win nine straight to end the regular season. His play has been central to that successful stretch. He has been putting up nearly 270 yards per game while also posting 26 touchdowns overall.

To Saban, that speaks volumes about who Milroe has been as a player as the season has progressed. He has made all the plays, whether throwing or running, to put the Crimson Tide in this position.

“I think that he just had to make plays,” said Saban. “He’s a great ad-lib guy when it comes to the play breaking down. He is a great athlete, he is fast, he is physical. But he has got a great instinct for that. That’s what makes him most dangerous.

“He’s also a good passer. He has become a very good processor of reading coverage and throwing the ball to the right guy. All these things have contributed to his transformation as a player, our transformation as an offensive team – the production that we’re getting from the quarterback position and the execution we’re getting from that position,” said Saban. “That has elevated the confidence of everybody on the offensive team.”

Some weren’t always sure that Milroe could be the player that Alabama needed in order to meet their lofty expectations. Now, ahead of their toughest test yet, there’s little doubt left around Milroe as he takes tries to help them secure a conference title and potential playoff bid inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.