The upcoming Rose Bowl clash between No. 4 Alabama and No. 1 Michigan promises to be a gripping battle on the field, but the tension extends beyond just tackles and touchdowns. Playbook under lock and key? Reportedly, Alabama has tightened security, banning players from individual film study on iPads.
This move, fueled by whispers of the Michigan sign-stealing scandal, shrouds the Crimson Tide's playbook in an extra layer of secrecy. But amid the heightened security, a heartwarming piece of news emerged.
On a positive note - Alabama offensive coordinator Tommy Rees gushed about his growing bond with quarterback Jalen Milroe. He praised Milroe as an "unbelievable human being" with an incredible work ethic and humility.
On Thursday, speaking during the Rose Bowl media availability, Rees explained:
"For Jalen and I, the relationship building over months has been really positive. He's an unbelievable human being. He's an unbelievable kid,” Rees’ quote, as tweeted by Touchdown Alabama. “Like the way he's able to face adversity, the way he's able to push through things, the standard he holds himself to, like those things probably started with his parents.”
“He's done an unbelievable job throughout the season of staying true to that. I think an underrated quality is just the humility he has to want to get better and to want to be the best version of himself."
On the flip side, entering his third season, Milroe credits Tommy Rees with helping him mold into the quarterback he always envisioned, thanks to Rees' own experience as a quarterback.
Jalen Milroe values the quarterback connection with Tommy Rees
For the first time, Jalen Milroe said, he's working with a coach who truly understands the QB perspective. Tommy Rees sees the game through the same lens Milroe does, he said,
“This is the first time I had an OC that played the position, that played the quarterback position,” Milroe's quote, as reported by On3. “I see quarterback in the lens of him as a playcaller.”
This shared understanding makes Rees' coaching resonate deeply with Milroe, who readily absorbs the wisdom of a former Notre Dame QB1.
“I think I’m very receptive of his coaching because he played the position, played at a high level at Notre Dame,” Milroe added.
“Now that he’s coaching? He’s able to coach the position and I’m able to absorb it as much as possible. It has been great. It has been great having Coach Rees here.”
This coach-player connection paid off big time. By the end of his first season as starting QB racked up nearly 3,200 total yards and 35 touchdowns, even landing amongst the top six Heisman contenders.
In short, it's a QB-to-QB connection, with Tommy Rees guiding the way, Jalen Milroe's future seems as bright as an Alabama crimson sunset.
Crimson Tide WR Isaiah Bond shed light on ‘no more solo iPad sessions’
One unusual measure? Alabama has banned players from watching films individually on iPads. Reported by Heavy, that this decision, announced during Rose Bowl media sessions, has fueled speculation about a connection to the recent Michigan sign-stealing scandal.
Crimson Tide receiver Isaiah Bond shed light on the situation, revealing that the team suspects Michigan used the Catapult sports performance app to gain an unfair advantage.
“It’s basically like the app where we record film on for practice and stuff like that,” Bond told reporters, per Heavy. “And [Michigan] was I guess looking at other people’s play calls, their hand signals, like the first eight games or something like that.
To combat any potential espionage, Alabama has switched to group film study sessions only. Bond confirmed that the coaching staff implemented this rule about a week before the team's Rose Bowl preparations began.
“Yeah, our coaches told us that probably like a week ago, right before we [were] about to come here, getting prepared for Michigan. …Yeah, we’re not allowed to [watch film individually for the Rose Bowl].”
While Bond remained tight-lipped about the specifics of the Michigan scandal, he hinted that the concerns stem from the Wolverines' alleged sign-stealing tactics during their first eight games of the season.
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