When most of us take a shower, we are doing so to get clean, relax and let the hot water cascade over us. Not Jalen Milroe. The Alabama starting quarterback apparently does something called contrast hydrotherapy, in which he alternates between hot and cold while rinsing himself off. Milroe comes from a military family and this is a technique he has picked up to help make him more mentally tough.
While my hot water heater broke and I had to take cold showers for a week because of it, admittedly, I got used to this. Then again, it was early July and desperate times call for desperate measures. But to do this willingly signifies that Milroe is simply built different. To be totally honest, you have to be built different if you are going to play college football for Nick Saban at Alabama. That is what it takes, man.
Milroe revealed this self-imposed psychological tactic he puts himself through every morning and after practice while doing his weekly appearance on The Next Round Thursday. Cleary, it is working.
"Mental toughness. To start your day off having some type of scenario to put you through the fire and put you through some sense of having strong mental toughness, that's how I start my day off. That's something I challenge myself is taking a cold shower just to start my day off. I started doing that and I think it's helped me out."
Milroe chalks it up to being very routine-driven, having grown up in a military household as a child.
"I do the same thing every single game day, at the same hour, the same time. I do the same thing. I wake up every game day no matter what time it is at 6 o'clock and I meditate and take some time away from football and get my mind off of it. I take time away to listen to music.
He also said that he has a 24-hour rule where he takes some time off between games to just relax.
"[After the shower] I look over some material for the game. The rest of the day, I don't look at no football. I don't look at no football. I have the day to just have peace of mind."
Here is Milroe appearing on Thursday's episode of The Next Round ahead of the Chattanooga game.
There was always a certainly je ne sais quoi about Milroe and why he played so well. Now we all know...
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe uses the shower to boost his mental toughness
While I certainly understand the benefits of taking a cold shower, both from a physical and mental perspective, that is always easier said than done. The key to pulling this off is the key to everything, which is having great discipline. Although most of these college stars have great physical gifts of supreme athleticism, having this level of discipline can take the good players and make them great.
Over the last few months, we have seen the Alabama football program get back to Alabama standards on the gridiron. After missing out on the College Football Playoff a season ago, the Crimson Tide control their own destiny. Of course, it starts with a win at home over Chattanooga, beating Auburn on the road in The Iron Bowl and then clipping Georgia in the SEC Championship.
That is all very possible, but the Crimson Tide may need Milroe to play his best two-game stretch of the season at Auburn and vs. Georgia in Atlanta. The Tigers are very beatable, but Jordan-Hare is always a difficult place to play. Alabama has historically owned Georgia in Atlanta, but the Dawgs have been on top of the college football world the last two years since beating Alabama up in Indianapolis.
Don't be shocked if Milroe crashes the Heisman Trophy party and is SEC Offensive Player of the Year.
