Joe Milton shows elite leadership with statement that Tennessee fans should appreciate
Tennessee Vols quarterback Joe Milton didn't have his best game against Texas A&M. He'll be the first to tell you that. What Milton won't do, though, is blame anyone else for his tough game. Not his teammates, not the weather conditions (it was extremely windy in Neyland last Saturday), and not Texas A&M's stout defense. […]
Tennessee Vols quarterback Joe Milton didn't have his best game against Texas A&M.
He'll be the first to tell you that.
What Milton won't do, though, is blame anyone else for his tough game. Not his teammates, not the weather conditions (it was extremely windy in Neyland last Saturday), and not Texas A&M's stout defense.
Milton has every right to mention those factors. Tennessee's wide receivers struggled against the Aggies. Multiple drops contributed to missed connections in the passing game. And the wind certainly didn't make deep shots down the field any easier. The Aggies' defense also played well against the Vols' up-tempo offensive attack.
Tennessee's starting quarterback, however, is shouldering the blame for the Vols' low-scoring output in Tennessee's 20-13 win against Texas A&M.
"I feel like the O-line played a great game," said Milton while appearing on The O'Rylie Show this week. "There was a lot of talk about Texas A&M's defensive line, so I feel like the O-line played a great game. And then the running backs, they're always going to have a good game. And then me personally, I feel I could've played better. But that's always — you get another chance at it the next week. So I feel like there's an opportunity for that."
"Receiver wise, I feel like they held it down," continued Milton. "The only person that needs to get better is me."
Obviously, there's a lot of improvement that needs to happen for the whole offense. But Milton showed some elite leadership skills by putting it on himself — even though the low-scoring output wasn't all on him.
Milton has been better in the past and he'll be better in the future. The game against Texas A&M was a battle. And it was ugly. But most importantly, it was a win for the Vols. And leaving that game, there's no doubt that Tennessee has a quarterback that knows how to lead.
I'd expect a strong response on the field from Milton's teammates this week against Alabama. How can you not want to step up for a quarterback that's willing to shoulder the blame for the entire offense?
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