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April 28, 2025 13 mins
Former Alabama and new Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe joins Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain to talk about coming to Seattle, the pressure at ‘Bama, his passing skills, his role in his first year, what he can improve on, and the connection with Sam Darnold.
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Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
He does throw the ball, like you said, down the
field extremely well, and he was extremely accurate two years ago,
and he did a pretty good job again for us
last year. So he's the guy that's up to the
challenge and he can handle the heat and he will
always put it on himself like you'd want any leader
a quarterback to do.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
That is the voice of Caitlin de Boor, who was
on the show with us a couple hours ago. And
our next guest knows a thing or two about that
guy because he played for him last year in Tuscaloosa.
The number ninety two pick overall in the NFL Draft,
third round pick out of Houston, Texas via Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
Let's welcome him to the show very first time. Jalen

(00:44):
Milroe with us on the air in Seattle, Jalen at
Softy and Dick Faine.

Speaker 3 (00:48):
How are you, man?

Speaker 4 (00:50):
I'm doing good? How y'all doing good?

Speaker 3 (00:52):
Good?

Speaker 2 (00:53):
Tell me what is a kid that played high school
than Katie, Texas and a guy that played college football
in Tuscaloosa, Alabama know about Seattle, Washington and the Pacific Northwest?

Speaker 5 (01:04):
My man, Well, initially I didn't know too much about
uh that area of the world. But the previous staff
I had in twenty four all came from University of Washington,
so they gave me some intel when it came to Seattle.
Then also my coach that I had this past year

(01:28):
was from ben.

Speaker 4 (01:29):
Oregon, Midge Darling, so of course he raised about it
a lot. So as someone that's from the South, I
don't know anything about that area, but I have a
lot of great people that inform me about the area.

Speaker 6 (01:43):
Well, you heard coach Debor there about a minute ago
talk about how you can handle the heat. And I'm
not talking about the weather heat in Seattle, and you
know what, I'm talking about the heat of being in Tuscaloose, Alabama.
What is the pressure like being the Alabama starting quarterback?

Speaker 4 (01:57):
Look, so it comes with a lot being start of
University Alabama. Number One, you represent the state of Alabama
when you when you play each and every game that
you have, each and every price that you have, you're
playing for the state Alabama. You're playing for locally in Tuscaloosa.
And then of course you know the guys in the
locker room. But it's the branding that comes from the

(02:18):
script A that's that's very unique.

Speaker 5 (02:21):
You know.

Speaker 4 (02:21):
I remember going to uh Puerto Rico with my family
for vacation and I had the script A out there
with my family and so on, and say roll tied to me.
And I remember Coach Savan he going to Italy with Ms.
Terry and he wore script day and so and said
roll tide to him. And so just the branding that

(02:41):
Alabama has everything as a whole. And so that was,
you know, one of the reasons why I went to Alabama.
So it's definitely a unique place. Coach the board definitely
knows how unique it is. But it made me stronger
as a quarterback.

Speaker 3 (02:56):
Well, Jalen Milroe again is with us.

Speaker 2 (02:58):
He was the ninety second pick overall in the third
around to the Seahawks on on Friday, and Jalen, look, man,
I'll be totally honest with you because I want our
relationship to be one of honesty, all right.

Speaker 3 (03:09):
I don't want to hide anything from you.

Speaker 2 (03:11):
If I got something critical to say about you, I
want you to hear it from me, all right, and
not from somebody else or some idiot on the internet.
So what what I have said on the air about
you is that I need to see more of you
as a passer before I believe that you can survive
in the National Football League. My partner over here, Dick,
he loves you. He would have taken you in the
first round for crying out loud. But I need to

(03:33):
see more of you as a passer at this level.
The criticism that you get from people and that observation
that people make, does that land as a fair criticism
or is that unfair in your opinion?

Speaker 4 (03:47):
Honestly, that goes for any quarterback. You always got to improve.
So I'm not necessarily, you know, motivated or worried about
outside noise. I know it makes me unique. I do
know that of the quarterback of this past draft, I
was winning winning his quarterback in the draft. So and
it comes from off every phase on the football fields.

(04:07):
I'm not really necessarily focus on your comment.

Speaker 6 (04:12):
How do you feel like you can help this team
in year number one? And have the Hawks talk to
you at all about what your role is on the
field this year?

Speaker 4 (04:21):
Yeah, Ultimately, my my biggest thing is earning the trust
and respect that all the guys in the locker room
as a rookie that number one, especially learning as well
with the guys that I had in my room. You know,
there's a lot of knowledge, is knowledge that I do
not have that those guys have. And also learning from
coach McDonald because uh McDonald, because he has he's deep

(04:44):
as of minded. That's gonna only help me as a quarterback.
And so ultimately that's the biggest thing coming in early
on and of course you know, doing what the team
needs so that he's going and put our best before
when it comes to competing against other teams. So that's
why we have we have enough time now into September
when we have our first game, so they think for me,

(05:04):
just under trust and then keep going to be another player.

Speaker 3 (05:06):
Well, Jalen Molroe again is with us.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
And Jalen, let me just go back to what we're
talking about this a second ago and you said you're
not really worried about the outside noise and I and
I totally get that, right, I mean, lock it in.
Whatever happens in the building is the most important thing.
But what what do you think honestly, Jalen, because you
said that you think you're unique? What what makes you unique?
What are your strengths in your opinion right now that
make you unique? And what are your weaknesses that you

(05:31):
think you'd like to work on.

Speaker 4 (05:33):
Yeah, there's nothing on the field I can't do. The
things I can improve on absolutely, and so I'm not
one dimensional when to come to the field, attacking the
running game and the passing games something I utilize the
whole time I was in college, you know, improving you know,
of course, you know you're coming into the league as
a rookie, and so nowledge they us in a room.
You know, you got to cut up the scale with

(05:54):
the guys in the room, and so overall is that
and then there coming in just refining everything in my
skill set, running game, passing game, everything as a whole,
so that I'm putting my best forward when it comes
to leading the guys when I had reps in practice
and then otimately in the game.

Speaker 6 (06:10):
When you think about your throws, where are you where
do you feel most comfortable throwing and where do you
feel like, Okay, this is the area, These are the routes.

Speaker 3 (06:19):
These are the throws.

Speaker 6 (06:21):
That I really have to get a lot better at
over the next year or two.

Speaker 4 (06:26):
Honestly, you know, get better every throw. You know, as
a quarterback, you want to keep on or finding your
skill set and no matter who you are as a quarterback,
you know that's that's important when it comes to development
at the position. But on the field, I've thrown every
top of touchdown. I throwing a post, I thrown an incut,
I thron't out. Well, you know, any any route concept

(06:47):
that that is there, I've thrown it. So I'm confident
in my still staying confident what i can ring to
the table.

Speaker 3 (06:53):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (06:53):
Well, Jalen Milroe is again with us, and you mentioned
Nick Saban. You mentioned Miss Terry right. I mean, I
don't know how many Cowhach football head coaches you know
their their wife's names are recognizable just as much as
theirs are. But everyone knows who Miss Terry is. And
then you played with Kailn de Bor last year, So
what what were the differences man for you as a
player between playing for Nick Saban and then playing for

(07:16):
Kailn de boor the following season.

Speaker 4 (07:19):
Both pushed the fan of excellence for all of us
owning out the field, who Maximond is the best player?
You know? In this past season this was the higher
GPA overall for the whole team in school history that
had so you know, on and out the field, you know,
we're pushing excellence. You know Coach Saban as well, you know,
on it out the field, trying to push for us

(07:40):
to all be the best version of ourselves. We had
multiple players on a team that had accolade when it
comes to off the field achievements. So no matter where
whereas that, of course you think exits and those of course,
but you know there's always the drawing in comparison of
what's different. But you know, similarly they all want to

(08:00):
push excellent. But of course you know, to see the
program differently comes from different phases of the college experience
and coaching experience that they've had. But you know, coach
saving the defensive mind and coach the border offensive minded.

Speaker 6 (08:14):
Spend some time with New Sea quarterback Jalen Milroe here
on ninety three point three KJRFM. Jalen talk about your
relationship with your wide receiver group last year compared to
the year prior Coach to Bora was on with us.
Mentioned maybe at a comfort level that was a little
higher with the twenty twenty three group versus the twenty
twenty four group. Is that fair and did that contribute
maybe to your dropping numbers this past season?

Speaker 4 (08:36):
Yeah, so of course, you know, everything is about timing,
everything's about details, everything is about on the relationship when
it comes to quarterback, the quarterback the receiver, no matter
where where it is, especially going coming now as a
rookie inainst the league, and so that's the emphasis. You know,
move forward, of course, and when it comes to comfortable,

(08:56):
won't comfortable whoever I play with. So it was it
was nothing in a drop or anything like that going
into the season, but you got to look at the
task at hand and what it took place. You know,
coming into this season, we had a fresh group of
receivers and skill position that we didn't have in the
year before. You know, we were we had a different
crew of starting receiver than we did the year before.
And the guys that we had point three had been

(09:18):
in the system, had been into the out of my offense.
I knew the guys along a period of time. But
that don't change anything when it comes to her preparation
and playing. You know, we're not taking stats, chasing wins
and after object to move forward. If you look at it,
the passing bows shot championship last season, is he the
best story in the NFL?

Speaker 3 (09:40):
Have you talked to Sam Darnold yet.

Speaker 2 (09:42):
Have you had that discussion with the guy who for
now is QB one yep? Okay, can you tell me
about that? Tell us about those conversations and what he's
told you.

Speaker 4 (09:53):
Yeah, we have a good relationship. I know, I know
him very well. Here we we both had the saying
quarterback coach with Jordan Palmer yep. And so I know him,
you know, por being the Seahawks. So I'm definitely excited
to cheam up with him again.

Speaker 2 (10:12):
Well, you mentioned Jordan Palmer. I've mentioned him jailing a
couple of times on the show. And uh, you know,
people that I know in Tuscaloosa say that you looked
as comfortable that pro day as you ever have and
probably the best people have ever seen you throw the ball.
And some people kind of attribute that to Jordan's So
tell us about what this guy means to you and

(10:32):
and what he's done for you off the field.

Speaker 4 (10:34):
Man, Yeah, grind those stuff and no matter what page
it for him, it is And so I know that
you know a year from now and be even better
than our worse today. Is so, but also it comes
with the people that poured into and Jordan Palmer is
one of them for sure, and Mike White. I'm down
in California, and so as I'm going this, this uh
puss is of being the best quarterback that candy, It's

(10:56):
going to come from the people that pour into and
so that's one of the people that put to me.

Speaker 6 (11:01):
Ninety two is probably a little lower than most people thought.

Speaker 3 (11:03):
You would go.

Speaker 6 (11:04):
Are you the type of guy that kind of uses
that as motivation or not?

Speaker 4 (11:10):
My lifetime goal was being ANFL quarterback. You know, no
matter where I was select, I staid to prove myself,
no matter how the first overall pick in the draft,
and or I was the mister irrelevant, it doesn't matter.
I started to come in the league and prove myself.
And so my goal wasn't to this this certain pick
or this timeframe. Was more of being I'm gonna hear
my name called. That was the That was the beautiful

(11:33):
moment that I have my family would hear my name called,
and also hearing that it was gonna be a sea hole.
So it didn't really matter when when it.

Speaker 2 (11:42):
Was and got your name called by a former Crimson
side running back and Sean Alexander to boot on top
of that, but Jalen Milroe with us and Jalen, one
more from me before you go. So look, we hear
that you have a military background with your family, that
you like to bust your ass. And you know, Kaylen
talked about you being one of the first ones in
the building. How important is that to you to set

(12:02):
that example of leadership and be one of the first
guys in the building.

Speaker 3 (12:06):
Even at this level and college.

Speaker 4 (12:08):
Level, it's all about being authentic, being the same person
eation every day, the guy that everyone can trust. And
so I'm all about working hard as well, the working
a darks all was going to come come to shine
when it's necessary, and so it's all part of out process.
You know, our process is different, but I understand that
you have to work for all that you want to achieve.

Speaker 6 (12:28):
Final thing from me and we appreciate you joining us. Uh,
what did the Seahawks get in tight end? Robbie oots Jalen.

Speaker 4 (12:37):
Someone that loves his teammates, someone who is selfless, someone
that never complains, someone who loves the process of of
of getting to all that he deserves as a team
and the team goals in and personal goals. And so
there's someone that works with works his tail off onely
can be utilized all over the football field, and he cares.

(12:57):
He cared about everyone that he plays around. And he's
also a guy that works hard in silence.

Speaker 3 (13:02):
Yeah, what do you do when you're not playing football?

Speaker 2 (13:04):
I mean some guys are football twenty four seven, three
sixty five and maybe you are too. But you got
any hobbies that you like to take part in when
you're not focused on football?

Speaker 4 (13:12):
Man? Nah? Just football, really, you know, football and being
around my families everything. That's everything I.

Speaker 1 (13:19):
Like to do.

Speaker 2 (13:20):
Awesome, all right, Hey go get them. Best of luck
to you. Welcome to the two oh six and we'll
talk very soon.

Speaker 4 (13:25):
Man, appreciate this, Appreciate you.

Speaker 2 (13:28):
You got it. Jalen Milroe with us on the radio
show and
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