“He’d get hot”: Alabama QB Jalen Milroe’s parents recalls son’s competitive nature from a young age

Jalen Milroe has become one of the biggest stars in college football this season. On Saturday, he spearheaded the then-No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide's 41-34 victory over the then-No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs.

With growing attention on Milroe, more people are becoming curious about his background and the journey that shaped him into the player he is today.

In the second episode of the mini-documentary series "LANK" (the mantra Milroe introduced last season, an acronym for "Let All Naysayers Know"), Milroe's parents spoke about their son's competitive nature.

"Jalen has always been super competitive," Milroe's mother, Lola Milroe, said. "No matter what it is. When he was younger, he and his siblings, when we would go out, we would say, 'Hey, what time do you think we're going to get home?' and they'd all say the time, and if Jalen doesn't win, he'll start fussing and say, 'You started driving so slow.'"

"He'd get hot. He'll get mad. He'll think I'm driving slow," Milroe's father said.

Milroe's competitive spirit is seen even more during his time with Alabama, where he constantly strives to be the best player.

He will be looking to lead No. 1 Alabama (4-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) to a national championship, be in contention for the Heisman Trophy (where he is now seen as the favorite) and potentially be the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NFL draft, something that wasn't considered at the beginning of the season.

Jalen Milroe recalls the adversity he faced to play as a quarterback

In the mini-documentary, Milroe recalled that no one took him playing quarterback seriously when he was growing up.

"They're always shocked when I told them the quarterback position," Milroe said. "Then they go on to say, 'How is your decision making? Are you athletic? Can you run? How fast are you? What's your 40 time?' There were already people who doubted me, that doubt I can play the position. Don't view that I had the genetic makeup to play the position."

Milroe’s father added:

"And they think, oh, you can, 'You're athletic, so you can go play something else' and not really giving him the benefit of the doubt until they actually see him play. And then, once they see him play, then the conversation completely changes."

This perception of Milroe as someone who can not play his position heavily relates to the LANK mantra he has become associated with. In what he is doing with the Alabama Crimson Tide, he is letting those who put him down know they were wrong.