Jalen Milroe John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe emerged as a star for the team as he helped lead them to an SEC title and a College Football Playoff appearance. And it sounds like some of his emergence was motivated by a former Alabama coach who doubted his abilities as a quarterback.

According to Jalen Milroe, former Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien once told him that he should not be playing quarterback.

“All my life, even when I was in college,” Milroe said according to On3. “My own offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien told me I shouldn’t play quarterback. So there’s a lot of things I can have motivation on, and that’s something I have motivation on.”

Milroe said he was still able to learn from O’Brien, but he certainly used his words as motivation.

“The biggest thing, for me, is that I try to learn and grow as much as possible,” Milroe said. “Never dwell on any situation but you can use anything as motivation. You also got to acknowledge what’s the thing that you learned through your process.

“I learned a lot of things with Coach O’Brien being our offensive coordinator with his knowledge of the game. With him being a head coach in college and also in the NFL. So, I don’t take that lightly being coached by him. But everything is motivation. We try to use it to fuel you in your journey.”

O’Brien is now the offensive coordinator for the Ohio State Buckeyes, which means there is a chance Milroe could face off against him if both teams make the College Football Playoff this year.

[On3]