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Alabama

Jalen Milroe explains why he wears No. 4 jersey

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh11/06/24griffin_mcveigh
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Oct 5, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) stands in the pocket against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Most players have a reason behind wearing the numbers they do. Whether it’s something they picked up when playing high school football or even going back to when they were a kid, jersey numbers have sometimes cost a lot of money.

Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe recently explained why he sports No. 4, citing his birthday. Milroe was born on Dec. 13 and just did simple addition when adding one and three together. Blend in a lesson learned from a youth football coach as No. 4 has stuck with Milroe ever since.

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“My birthday is December 13th,” Milroe said. “So you add one and three, you get four. I chose that when I was younger. One of my coaches growing up, Jacobi Walker, he introduced me to four. He told me ‘You should be four.’ And he was like ‘How many quarters are in a game? Four.’ So my birthday and that situation.”

There was one issue when Milroe got on campus, though. No. 4 was already taken by an Alabama player as running back Brian Robinson had it during the 2021 season. Robinson wound up rushing for 878 yards and four touchdowns as the Crimson Tide won the SEC and made the College Football Playoff.

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So when Milroe entered the program as a true freshman, he had to pick another number. Instead of adding three and one together, he decided to change to subtraction.

“I was even more clever,” Milroe said. “What’s three minus one? Two. So I’m like, alright I’m going to do that. That’s really what happened.”

Robinson left Tuscaloosa after 2021, leaving Milroe’s number open. The opportunity to reclaim it was there and the quarterback took advantage of the opportunity. A few years later, every Alabama fan knows who No. 4 is and cheering him on.