Getting the best out of your star players sometimes means having to make some difficult decisions.
The Alabama Crimson Tide were struggling at the start of last year, with a loss to the Texas Longhorns and near-upset against the USF Bulls. Those struggles led to Nick Saban deciding to bench Jalen Milroe, giving Ty Simpson and Tyler Buchner some opportunities under center.
Milroe quickly earned back his starting job, and the benching ended up turning around Alabama's season. They went on to become SEC champions while making it into the College Football Playoff before falling to the Michigan Wolverines.
During SEC Media Days, Saban explained the decision to bench Milroe last season.
“One of the things we were trying to get Jalen to do is change his style a little bit as a player and be that point guard type of guy that I talked about before,” Saban explained. “It took us taking his job away to get him to be able to buy into that. When he did, he became a much better player, much better leader. He developed the confidence of the team."
Milroe's leadership shined during his benching. Instead of getting down on himself or the team, Milroe was spotted hyping up his teammates from the sideline, including a big hug with Ty Simpson, who got his opportunity to start at QB.
Milroe went on to win second-team All-SEC honors. He threw for 2,834 yards, 23 touchdowns, and six interceptions while rushing for another 531 yards and 12 scores.
While it may have been difficult at the time, Saban's decision to bench Milroe might have ultimately been the best things for his long-term career.
