Jalen Milroe did not participate in Alabama football 's senior day ceremony before the Iron Bowl against Auburn . But he did have a moment after the Crimson Tide's 28-14 win Saturday.
The Alabama redshirt junior quarterback jogged around the perimeter of the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium waving to fans, clarifying it as an ode to the Crimson Tide finishing its final home game currently on its schedule.
"Those are the people that impact the game, those are the people we play for," Milroe said. "Any opportunity I'm able to be thankful and show my appreciation, I'm going to try to do so."
But the moment felt bigger than that.
As Milroe exited the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium to head into the locker room, he left a message. He raised his right hand in the shape of an "L," signifying a rallying cry he's been tied to with the Crimson Tide .
LANK.
Let a naysayer know.
And Milroe was gone, not knowing what's coming next for Alabama , whether it's a bowl game or a College Football Playoff berth, not knowing or sharing whether that moment was his last with the Crimson Tide with his name appearing on many 2025 NFL mock draft boards.
All Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer knows is who Milroe has been for this team.
"You talk about resiliency for our team, I think that's a good word to use for him," DeBoer said. "It's hard being the quarterback of a football team. It's hard being the quarterback of a team in a program that expects to win every game."
Milroe was resilient against Auburn .
Milroe was by no means perfect, recording three turnovers for the second straight game and giving Auburn ample opportunities to respond.
Jam Miller did not see a quarterback that changed when adversity hit, one that let the bad plays get him down.
Germie Bernard did not see a quarterback that couldn't handle what was in front of him.
Milroe was the quarterback Bernard has always seen: one that continues to tell those around him to continue to grind, that everything would be OK, one that is going to make a throw that Bernard is going to catch.
"That's exactly what he did," Bernard said.
To DeBoer, Milroe "continued to stay the course," scoring three of the Crimson Tide's four touchdowns with 360 of Alabama's 457 total yards.
It was a performance of which DeBoer was proud for Milroe, showcasing resilience as the leader of a team that is expected to win every game.
It was a performance Milroe was proud to give DeBoer, who the quarterback described as "one of the best coaches I've been around," one who pushes him to be the quarterback he was against Auburn, one who pushes him to to be the best quarterback he can be.
"It's not easy being a head coach in the SEC," Milroe said. "But he's just shown tremendous leadership and shown, you know, his pride in coaching and how much he cares about us.
"I've really enjoyed being a quarterback for coach DeBoer."
And Milroe may get another opportunity. His time with DeBoer may not be over.
Milroe did not participate in Alabama's senior day ceremony. But as he jogged around the perimeter, as he lifted his right hand in the shape of an "L," it seemed he had the moment he needed. Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: What Jalen Milroe felt after Alabama football Iron Bowl win vs Auburn
