Joe Milton shares key to winning locker room as a transfer

Tennessee quarterback Joe Milton joined the Volunteers program as a transfer following three years with Michigan. Anytime a quarterback transfers into a new situation, it can be a precarious situation.

Whoever plays the position has to be a leader on the team. It’s the nature of the beast. But the transfer also can’t be one to stir the pot so much. He has to gain the trust of his teammates, just like he did when he was first starting out at their first school.

Milton knows this, and he discussed his experience at SEC Media Days and what advice he would give other quarterbacks making a move in the middle of their college careers.

“Being able to understand the guys in the locker room, I feel like once you understand the guys in the locker room and what the team wants, what the coaches want, if you have new coaches or old coaches, doesn’t matter, just understand what they want inside the playbook, understand your playbook,” Milton said. “I feel like the playbook is the main thing. Once you know that, then the guys around you are kind of rallied to you to get your help, see how you see it. I mean, every mind in here thinks different. Just being able to see that and process that, it will be fine.”

One of the ways that Milton has earned respect in the locker room is by sticking with the process while at Tennessee. The quarterback spent the past two seasons as the backup to Hendon Hooker.

Instead of transferring out to play somewhere else, Milton stayed, took his backup role in stride, helped the team get better and will not get his chance to run the show in 2023.

Volunteers tight end Jacob Warren said that Milton’s dedication to the program and the school shined through with his decision to stay with Tennessee.

“The one thing that built my respect for Joe the most was the fact that he stayed,” Warren said at SEC Media Days. “He had every — maybe not every right, but everyone could understand why he would leave, want to go play, because he’s obviously a great talent, a really big weapon for us. But the fact that he stayed, he just learned from Hendon and also helped Hendon out in a lot of different areas of the game, has truly showed me he’s committed to this place.”