AP Player of the Week: Alabama’s Jalen Milroe wins top honors for 2nd time in 3 weeks

That we put into, you know, the, the weeks, uh you know, we had *** bi week there. I thought the guys did an excellent job and I think the preparation goes back before that too. There is *** continual improvement that we have and that uh it's, it's something I think that's just the inside of these guys. Uh They wanna be great. Um You know, I'm just proud of the way they, they bring it every single day and the energy. Uh you know, it shows, it shows uh every day I step on the football field so proud of, uh proud of that and, uh you know, they're doing *** lot of things. Well, I think we'll continue to do more things well, on both offense, defense and also with special teams, uh always gonna be things that we need to continue to clean up. Uh We know we're only as good as our, as our last game and everything that's on film or anything that uh didn't go, you know, like you'd hoped uh is gonna be what the next opponent's gonna look at and try to attack you with. So, um again, I think the you know, looking forward to tomorrow morning and, uh, *** great practice, uh, should be full of energy. It needs to be the best Tuesday we've ever had. Uh, just because that's the way we have to, we have to approach each and every opportunity. Charlie. Yeah. Hey, coach, just with Ryan. How do you, um, teach *** guy that young just to manage some of the things that are coming his way from an attention standpoint from uh oh, yeah, excuse me. Um You know, he's, he's obviously got *** lot coming his way. Can you give me *** water and uh *** lot of things that, um that, uh you know, uh we expect him to continue to do, right? Make *** lot of plays and uh he's, you know, gonna continue to bring on that attention and um just educating him and understanding, you know, uh both on the field while, while he's doing his thing and uh away from from it, uh just that uh the impact he has uh is seeing the influence he has is great and uh you know, just how to manage all of that. So, um you know, it's just *** process and it's not just with him, it's with every one of our guys, we uh try to do *** really good job of that. Um And, uh you know, there's *** lot going on and every little thing is picked up on, uh especially these days and uh you know, Ryan's, you know, first class guy all the way, you know, through and through and, uh, love coaching him. Um, he brings *** great work ethic smile, all the things you want. Uh, each and every, each and every day to practice, jumped over the chase on t left question you didn't get asked about on Saturday night when you had to miss Q on the kickoff return in the fourth quarter, you got *** drive start at your own three yard line. Um Bernard makes *** tough catch to move the change. You end up punting on that drive, but you drove it away from the goal line enough that I, I think Georgia took over on their own 33. How critical was it even on *** drive where you punt to get it off the goal line? No, that's *** really good point. And, uh, the first point is that we got, do *** better job of making sure, uh, you know, that situation doesn't happen. Uh We talked *** lot about that yesterday in our special teams meeting. Uh, and, uh, we'll learn from that and, uh, you know, getting those first downs and getting yourself some space and especially when you do have James where he can flip the field. Um You want to, you know, obviously move the ball further, uh, and get more first downs, but that was ***, that was *** big catch, uh, converting there with, uh, um, with, uh it was germ, uh, on the catch there. So, uh, yeah, that's, it's critical because no one likes to be putting in their end zone. That space is, gets pretty tight and they did *** nice job, you know, converting. But, uh, you know, boys felt like getting *** couple first downs is the minimum. Uh, we didn't get two of them. Um, but, you know, getting our, getting our backs off of the goal line was certainly important there covered net on the right. Yeah, we had *** chance. I think it was right before halftime that, uh, get to see you pretty fiery, uh, in *** moment. And, uh, for *** guy who's known for being so even Keel, what's kind of your approach for one to kind of show that side of yourself? Yeah, I don't think you predetermine, you know, when, when or what you're gonna do and all that, but I just, you know, you just, the guys are fighting and, um, you know, when you see something *** certain way and I know that I just felt like that was *** big, big time in the game. Uh, we were doing *** lot of things well, and, uh, some opportunities that just, you know, we didn't take advantage of, uh, as *** team and that moment right there, we talk about the middle eight and go into the locker room with *** lot of momentum and I know we got *** safety there right. In that area too. But, uh, this, there was some missed opportunities that, uh, we'd love to have had and I was just, you know, you know, fighting for my team and, uh, I know they were out there fighting and doing everything they could. And so, uh, just, uh, loved the way we were playing up until that point. I wanted to keep it going and, uh, just, you know, I saw it *** certain way and, uh, wanted to make it known. So back left Steve, the tight ends were used *** lot throughout the game, especially CJD pre, like how does he make this offense go? The tight end has always been an extremely critical part of our offense. Uh, the ability to be able to line up wide, come in tight hand down off the ball. The more things all guys can do special skill players, uh in our offense, the more versatile we'll become receivers who can run the ball. We saw that with some guys, uh Saturday night running backs that can catch the ball. We saw that for *** touchdown, uh, and some other opportunities as well. Just that versatility to where *** defense, defense coordinator, um, you know, put in *** game plan has to give them all these different, uh, you know, elements of how we're gonna attack, uh, with CJ in particular, you know, he's continued to, you know, find his way into this offense, uh, you know, and guys finding him, whether it's Jalen, uh or us just understanding, you know, the best way is to utilize him the way he's most comfortable. He did *** nice job, you know, and he has done *** nice job, uh taking advantage of these opportunities and there was just more of them and, uh that was part of the plan, uh things that fit *** lot of different ways where we felt we could attack. And, uh, he did *** nice job, you know, all game long as well as did the other tight ends. We got *** few questions on the phone here for the summer, Jack. Hey, coach, uh, you mentioned the safety, uh, you know, that coming right off of, uh, an interception. How big was that? Just from *** momentum standpoint to see your defense if you didn't make *** stand like that and put some points on the board right after *** turnover on off. Yeah, it's, it's, it's huge and, you know, really, uh, the defenses love to be in that spot, you know, didn't like that how we got into that spot because we had to kick it down to him there or that was actually at the interception. That's even worse. Uh, right. But, uh, that, uh, taking advantage, uh, and when *** team as their backs to the wall, just like we just spoke of with our back to the wall. Oh, that's *** tough spot to be in. And, uh, I thought, uh, Coach Womack and the defense dialed some good things up and put them in *** really uncomfortable spot where they had to, you know, really react quickly and, you know, we got the intentional grounding. So those two points, uh, all points as we saw at the end of the game were really critical. And, uh, you know, um, you know, I just, I think when it comes to points in general, this is *** little off the topic. That's one thing I loved about our team, the two point conversions at the end, whether it's us scoring, uh or us stopping, uh them understanding the significant of every point and that goes for extra points in the middle of the game or first quarter. I think our guys play hard each and every time each and every play, but especially when those points are at stake. You mentioned the running backs getting involved in the passing game. I think that throw, the touchdown pass to jam might have been Jen's most, you know, perfectly placed pass of the night. Just how have you seen him improve in those intermediate throws, uh, you know, 10 to 19 yards past the line of scrimmage. Yeah, the thing that stuck out to me in the moment even is that he didn't even think twice, you know, and that, that was, that is just something I think is coming along more and more. Uh I think when it comes to Jen's game, there's the piece, the fundamental piece right that you're always working on and there's also then the element of understanding the offense and what we're trying to accomplish with concepts. And then there's *** trust that has to be there with the, there are guys that are there in front of you to block the guys that are running the routes, uh just all of it coming together. And I think you just see in each and every week those steps uh in all those areas happening and uh the progress he's making and, and that doesn't just happen. You have to intentionally work at all of it and it's communication. Uh Hey, I'm gonna, I might throw that in there if you have *** step on him. You know, it's, it's just reaffirming with each and every one of them in practice and that's *** lot of work and he brings that energy. He brings that intentionality each and every day. Hey, coach, I'm sure you'd probably love to have the success in the second half as you did the first half. But how important was it for your team to be battle test? And how did you, what did you learn about them? Yeah. Uh You know, it's important for us to now have this, this each game provides experiences, right? Every game, every opportunity and we all have our experiences outside of being here in Alabama, all the areas places we came from and we talked to about this as *** team um for us to start fast, like we have really the last two games. Uh we did against Western Kentucky, the *** Florida game, I think we learned *** lot. But uh I really like that because that, that shows the preparation, the co the confidence that as *** result of it, uh we hit the ground running. Um Yes, we would like to have *** better second half. There are just literally, there's literally one play here, one play there, *** small little piece that would have in the early part of the third quarter, mid part of the third quarter, completely changed that game. And unfortunately, it did, it did happen and we have to continue to learn from that. Um, you know, continue to just understand that, that those moments become big. And so that experience that we went through, uh whether it was the missed opportunities or how resilient we were at the end and learning that, you know, in the end, it was *** team team win because the offense scored and the defense stopped him and, uh, it took both sides of the ball doing everything they could to help us win that football game. And so, uh, there, there's ***, *** good positive vibe because, uh, it wasn't just one side or the other that carried, carried the weight or found *** way to win. Uh, it was *** team win and, uh, we'll learn from that and continue to trust and believe in each other and continue to grow as ***, as *** team because of it. Hey, Kaitlin. Um, I'm curious, the former offensive coordinator, how, how difficult is Kane Womack's, uh swarm defense, the disguise that it brings. How, how hard is that for an offensive line against? Yeah, I, you know, and there's *** reason why, uh, you know, I wanted Kane to be here, you know, I saw it back in 2019, uh when I was at Indiana with him and, and really liked *** lot about what he was doing, whether it was schematically or how he brought ***, *** unit together. Uh just uh the support uh he gives me and uh the type of person he is there, I can go on and on. Uh but when it comes to what your question was about, you know, what he can do, uh I think it's *** little bit different uh than what you see from and every defense has got their style. So, you know, *** lot of people are gonna say that, but there's *** mix of attacking style with uh uh uh uh the opportunity or the way of, of just making people earn it. And he can just kind of pull on that and make it kind of look the same uh from play to play. And uh he's got *** great, great, great mindset, uh great, great, you know, schematic system uh that uh he can really draw upon to be able to pull the trigger on whatever he wants and then being able to communicate it through his staff and make it simple for our guys to allow them to play fast. Is I think what you're also seeing, uh especially early in the season here as *** new team, there's still stuff, just stuff that's happening that we haven't been through experiences and situations and each and every game, that's one thing you just worry about going into *** game like this is, it's, it's an early game of the season, gets *** very quality opponent and all those situations that you try, try to get your team to understand and prepared for during spring, summer fall. They, they're never the same as when it happens out there in the moment. And, uh, you know, Keynes has done *** great job preparing the defense and allowing them to play fast and, and, uh, do the things they're doing for takeaways against *** team that hadn't had any turnovers. Uh just, uh, you know, that's *** big deal coach, *** lot of talk after the game about the atmosphere on Saturday, how electric it was. And I was, you know, nationally and I was talking to fans yesterday at *** restaurant that said they haven't seen Bryant Denny like that. It was really loud. How big is that moving forward? What's your message to the fans for helping me out? I appreciate that I was gonna talk about that because that's ***, that was *** huge deal. And, you know, we, we are, the guys are in *** hotel and they're going through, walk throughs and, and all of that, whether it's Friday night, Saturday and you don't really have *** sense of what's going out there. I got the, you know, got *** chance to go out there on game day, that set and get *** good feel of it and, and maybe just give them *** heads up that, hey, you know, i it's gonna be *** fun day. It's gonna be *** uh *** lot of energy and when we start pulling into the stadium, you instantaneously could feel it. And, you know, I'm on that first bus with the guys and, you know, they, uh their, their eyes were wide open and excited about uh what they were feeling and seeing and then of course, just throughout the game, uh I just can't tell you enough. Uh I think there's just an energy. It's not like you pick out any, any single thing. Like I still haven't, I hate to say this, I'm embarrassed to say this, uh Dixie land *** light. I still haven't really experienced it. I don't know when I thought it was supposed to happen between the third quarter and the fourth quarter, but uh it must happen another time. So the lights go out and I'm thinking it's gonna happen and it doesn't happen. So, uh, I'm still learning myself but, uh, the energy, uh, the excitement of it, uh, there's just, um, you know, something special about playing in Bryant Denny. I can't tell you, tell the fan base, uh, how, how much the guys love it and, uh, we appreciate it and can't wait to continue to do it again. Last question, Jamie Coach. Where would you rank Saturday's game in all the past games? You've been *** head coach in? Yeah, there, there's ***, there's *** lot of great ones. I think the, uh, I go back to, I keep, I keep, I think this has been brought up. I think maybe in coach Lou talked about the experiences you've been through, like I've been through enough to where I just think so optimistically, like we, we can do this, we can do this, you know, and trying to get that to your team is the tricky part because they haven't been through all those experiences. They don't have enough games under their belt to be able to have something that's happened at almost every spot in the field offensively, defensively, we can get that ex an interception, you know, just believing that's gonna happen or we can convert this fourth down, we can get this touch down. And, um, it's, it's definitely up there because there was certainly the ebbs and flows, uh, to an extreme when it comes to the lead, uh, the loss of *** lead and then, uh, even in the last 2.5 minutes, just, uh, how, you know, um, how, how the game went back and forth. So, uh, it is *** big one. I think the significance of it being our first conference game, uh, against, uh, *** top ranked opponent, taking all of those things in, uh, it's as, it's as big as any, I mean, I have *** lot of pride in winning some national championships and things like that. So that's internal. But, uh, this is where my feet are at right now. And so this is the most important one I've ever won and, uh, it ranks at the top, you bet. Real Todd.