Leadership without example doesn't work. Nor is it for the timid.
Alabama football 's Jalen Milroe , however, has no issue in either area. And more and more as the Crimson Tide reaches the end of the preseason, offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan is seeing the veteran quarterback set a tone with teammates that's unmistakable.
"He's as hard of a working player as I've ever been around. He's a completely committed, devoted student-athlete in all areas," Sheridan said Wednesday. "His teammates respect that. And I think he's becoming more and more comfortable, even in our time here, of using his voice to encourage, to confront, to demand. Because he's certainly putting in the time and the work."
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Encouragement is easy. Confrontation and demand sometimes isn't. Players giving less than full effort can't admonish others doing the same with any credibility. Milroe's commitment and effort, by contrast, has drawn enough respect from teammates that he's got the leverage to speak up and be heard when he sees the effort around him falling short.
It can be a fine line to toe, one that can make even the most effective leaders feared more than liked.
Milroe plays a position where a certain amount of leadership is a must. Pairing that role with a work ethic that is unquestioned in the UA locker room, however, puts him in an ideal position to demand the best of others. Unsurprisingly, Milroe was named a team captain earlier this week, along with offensive guard Tyler Booker , safety Malachi Moore and linebacker Deontae Lawson .
Milroe, however, has emerged as the alpha, at least on the offensive side of the ball.
"He's done a real nice job of that, and we're going to need that as we continue with both him and Tyler being leaders on that side of the ball," Sheridan said.
Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X.com @chasegoodbread.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football QB Jalen Milroe has found his voice as a leader
