Alabama QB Jalen Milroe overcomes doubters, getting 'last laugh' - ESPN

LOS ANGELES — Just days away from leading Alabama into the College Football Playoff semifinal against Michigan, starting quarterback Jalen Milroe said Thursday that former Tide offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien once told him he shouldn't play quarterback.

«How would you feel if I told you [that] you suck?» Milroe said of what it was like to receive that remark from his former coordinator. «He told me a bunch of positions I could have switched to, but look where I'm at right now. Who gets the last laugh?»

O'Brien, who was the team's offensive coordinator in the previous two seasons, was replaced by Tommy Rees this past offseason after O'Brien left to become offensive coordinator with the NFL's New England Patriots.

Under Rees, once a college quarterback himself, Milroe has grown into one of the best quarterbacks in college football. After struggling at the beginning of the season and losing the starting job against South Florida, Milroe bounced back.

As he led the Tide to 10 straight wins, an SEC title and a CFP berth, he also found a groove as both a runner and a passer, throwing for 2,718 yards and 23 touchdowns while running for 468 yards and 12 more scores.

«When you look at me, you don't think I play quarterback,» Milroe said. «You think I play [defensive back], linebacker, tight end. You don't think I play quarterback.»

When it comes to throwing the ball, Milroe takes pride in bucking conventional wisdom about himself and showing how effective of a thrower, not just a runner, he can be. As his confidence has grown, Milroe has only been affirmed in his belief that he can play the position at a high level, even if people such as O'Brien have doubted his ability to do so.

«Growing up, I went to camp, they looked at me