Joe Milton on TN vs MI: "They don't build robots. They let you be who you want to be."
Joe Milton talked to Tennessee's media yesterday. He offered what I thought was an interesting nugget about the new coaching staff there versus Harbaugh/Gattis.
"They don't build robots. They let you be who you want to be."
I time-marked the spot where he's asked, but you can always watch the full interview.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHBSKeYMOiU&t=390s
Not too shocking that a dude who transferred might express being less happy at the school he transferred from, than at a school where he's competing for a position.
August 8th, 2021 at 11:17 PM ^
Its been pretty obvious our previous coaches crushed the confidence and enthusiasm of nearly everyone on the team for a couple years now. Hopefully some new blood will change that.
August 9th, 2021 at 10:22 AM ^
I follow Michigan football too. I'm not sure why this is "obvious" that the coaches did this. Most of the team's recruits remain on the roster. Meanwhile, attrition and transfers are at an all-time high in college football due to rules changes. Milton started more than half the season as a sophomore. He flopped. His replacement outplayed him, and a generational talent is now a freshman on campus. I'd say circumstances, not coaches who gave him 4 starts, crushed his confidence.
August 8th, 2021 at 10:44 AM ^
Cool story bro.
August 8th, 2021 at 10:44 AM ^
Well, we should try some new blue prints then if he was a robot that we made.
August 8th, 2021 at 11:55 AM ^
Seriously. He was, and probably still is, a terrible QB that was afforded a really long leash. I think they let him stay in there as long as they did just because of the big arm ability that made him appear better than he was. Take away the 2 big runs by our RBs and the kick return by Barrett in that Minnesota game and he might have went winless last year.
August 8th, 2021 at 12:22 PM ^
Jeter had the TD on defense too. Milton did get hyped from this game. He was ok. But McNamara really is a better QB.
Here's the highlights of the Minnesota game. After watching it again, I don't know why Charbonnet and Evans didn't get more carries throughout the season.
August 8th, 2021 at 12:27 PM ^
He was ok. But McNamara really is a better QB.
The question is: why was Milton picked to start over McNamara?
August 8th, 2021 at 12:38 PM ^
My only guess is that McNamara’s play on the field was so much further ahead than what he showed in practice that even the coaches were thrown off by it.
the bigger question, imo, is who the hell ran off Dylan and why?
August 8th, 2021 at 12:53 PM ^
I know practice should count but since practice isn't always "live" is hard to predict how someone will react in those situations. Some just perform better in games than in practice. I think think this is why preseason/scrimmages should be common occurrences in college prior to the season.
August 8th, 2021 at 11:49 PM ^
For some people there is just that little added spark of motivation and inspiration about being in a game versus practicing. They thrive and embrace the pressure and the drama. For others it overwhelms. It seems to me that this moxy or "it" factor is a characteristic that you might be able to spot early on the recruiting trail. Cade McNamara seems to have it. Unfortunately lately that has not been the case and I think that we have over-emphasized recruiting for physical measurables instead of mental fortitude, leadership, smarts, enthusiasm, and intangibles. That said, I like what I see with JJ because he seems to have the total package. But only time will tell.
August 8th, 2021 at 12:57 PM ^
This is probably it. Anyone who has coached a sport has had several athletes who look really good in practice, but who can't perform when it's gametime. It's frustrating when the practice superstar has a ton of potential.
Dylan ran himself off, with a big assist from his parents.
The story that came out was that Dylan was hurt/sick and wanted to take a couple days off, Harbaugh got hardass with him for a couple days and he got pissed. He decided too transfer. That was when the Milton hype train started.
Is there something left out of the story?
Honestly I don't remember. It was posted on here. Either its own post or part of a thread. Dylan felt like his health concern wasn't being taken seriously and Harbaugh was being an ass. That's all I remember.
August 8th, 2021 at 12:55 PM ^
I've been the Joe Milton in this scenario. In HS, I was the fastest kid on my HS football team and I was the game one starter at RB. In practice, I would hit the hole at a million miles an hour. Once the games came and defenses started throwing wrinkles at us, I had a hard time finding the hole (can't hit a hole fast if you don't see it) and was a step late at getting to my blocks when the guys wasn't "where he was supposed to be." The kid I had easily beaten out came in for me, took my starting job and WolvinLA2 made an awesome move to safety haha.
If you were in the stands, you would have thought the same thing - how did the coaches think that guy was the better option? Things change when you go from practices to games and I'm sure that's what happened with Milton/McNamara. Milton was me - had the better physical tools - but McNamara just got it.
Same thing happened to me. In high school I had it going on. Captain of the football team. Hair parted down the middle and feathered just right. Camaro. I went after the most fly girl in school. Truth be told, she pursued me.
But come game time, I had a hard time finding the hole.
I was replaced by a band kid with a Vega.
Feathered hair and Vega's. This is the 70's. I remember.
same thing happened to me in high school. I had the much better approach to asking girls out and frequently got the first date but then was always replaced by someone better during the actual date.
They have blue pills for that now.
I saw a comment in another post, a few weeks back, from a guy who went to high school with Cade McNamara. The comment stuck with me. He said he was a competitive psychopath. I remembered his high school highlight video. There's a play from 0:42 to 0:50 where he runs for a 1st down. He dives, and just makes it. I don't know how many people know it, but that was a 4th and long play on a game winning drive, against a very good team. I've been trying to find the link to the article about it.
Video at link:
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/3880181/5bc00d7c6e8b370cbcf84cd1
I want to see Cade succeed for several reasons, not the least of which is that I want to see his "Competitive Psychopath" t-shirts on sale at M-Den.
There’s a photo of him floating around the social media’s where he’s wearing a backwards hat and aviators. Throw that on a shirt with “competitive psychopath” in terminator font and you have my $20, good sir. Just make sure the kid gets some of the profit please.
+1000 to you for your humility and self deprecating honesty. Refreshing to hear this in modern snowflake society.
Most people in their ego would have embellished here and weaved a tale of how they got somehow held back....
Kudos to you again.
August 8th, 2021 at 10:40 PM ^
Okay. Cool. But this isn’t the first time Harbaugh, et. al. has made terrible personnel decisions.
Honestly, this thread + how everyone is talking about Milton makes me think everyone here has forgotten about the past 7 years. Harbaugh is Harbaugh- he can’t get out of his own way, he runs people off, and the ones who stay aren’t going to blow you away. McNamara was fine, but you can’t say he was fat and way better than Milton - seeing as how he played like 3 quarters of football all year.
Milton may or may not be good at TN, but that doesn’t mean that he (like Dylan) was completely mismanaged.
This is Michigan football now.
I know it's an ego bruiser but it's great that you can look back at the situation and honestly assess what happened and realize why without playing the blame game.
My answer to your question is......the coaching staff that Jim Harbaugh has brought in to coach the football team is sub par. And when the head coach has a sub par staff.......he is sub par too. Not only is recruiting fallen off but development is lacking.
Charbonnet had one long run in this game where the Minnesota defense blew an assignment and there was never another Minnesota defender within 10 yards of Charbonnet. He had 0 yards the rest of the game. So I’m not sure what you saw that tells you he should have gotten more carries.
Agreed! Furthermore, Charbonnet’s Freshman TD record is a joke. Dude was set up and punched in a number of them from inside 5-10 yards. Wasn’t like the kid was marching the ball down the field and then put the exclamation point with the Td.
Probably because outside of ZC's ne run against Minnesota Haskins was far superior and out offense was so bad there was not enough snaps.
365 days ago people were comparing him to cam Newton
So basically at Michigan they coach you up and teach you proper mechanics and how to be a good QB. At Tennessee they let you do what you want even if it’s not right and you never improve
August 9th, 2021 at 11:19 PM ^
Like who? What "good" qbs have UM developed in the last 20 years? You can't even count Brady as they did everything wrong with him even. He became a great qb in the nfl despite UM not because of
August 8th, 2021 at 10:44 AM ^
Seems like a question best answered after the season not before you've played a game. We're talking practice.
August 8th, 2021 at 12:19 PM ^
Allen Iverson said “practice” we’re talking about practice?
August 8th, 2021 at 10:44 PM ^
Or this one...cleverly done...
August 8th, 2021 at 10:46 AM ^
If only we could build robots that didn’t overthrow their receivers by 10 yards. Those are the best kind of robots.
August 8th, 2021 at 10:55 AM ^
August 8th, 2021 at 11:23 AM ^
He’s not a football player.
But he can throw it over the mountain.
August 8th, 2021 at 10:54 AM ^
For how top notch of engineering programs we have, you’d think we’d do better at Quarterback Robotics.
No worries, the Engineering departments at Houston, Iowa, Ole Miss and now Texas Tech are always there to help us out in our robotic deficiencies.
August 8th, 2021 at 10:56 AM ^
Jennifer Lawrence "OK" dot gif
August 8th, 2021 at 10:57 AM ^
Well I can imagine that for most young men the Michigan emphasis on building men, good citizens, etc.., and not just football players can be a tad cumbersome. Kids leave high school and home desiring freedom. They get to a program like Michigan and it's all rules again.
Tennessee, and many other schools don't have a culture that's attempting to nurture well rounded student-athletes, and prepare them for life's journey.
August 8th, 2021 at 11:10 AM ^
Mr. Bird,
You and I may be correct in our assumption that Michigan does a better job than most in helping young athletes develop not only in their sport but in character, as men and women.
And as others have pointed out, Milton's opinion may be a whine stomped from sour grapes.
However, no place is perfect—as many others keep pointing out. So when a major Michigan recruit says somewhere else does it better, it may pay to listen.
August 8th, 2021 at 11:24 AM ^
But he doesn't say they do it better. He said they let him be who he wants to be. Unfortunately, that might not be the best thing for someone with football instincts like Milton.
August 8th, 2021 at 11:37 AM ^
And, I don't think he's talking about on the football field. He didn't say play how they want to play. He said be who they want to be. I think this is more football culture than football playing.
August 8th, 2021 at 11:56 AM ^
I took it to be about football. Here's the reporter's question (I couldn't understand the first few words, but I think this is it):
Tell me a little now about running this offense that you might not have known before you stepped on campus?
Here's Joe's response:
They don't build robots. They let you be who you want to be. And that's the biggest thing. Because as a quarterback, you don't want to sit there and just pat the ball and just think about everything else. You can just react and feel everything.
In any case, I agree with you. College football should be about both teaching the game and building good men/strong character.