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Alabama came into the 2019 fall camp hoping for big things from the linebacker corps, with two veteran starters on the inside leading some talented youngsters. You all know the story by now. Both of the upperclassmen were robbed of their seasons by knee injuries, the most heartbreaking of which was fifth year senior Joshua McMillon, who was to finally get his chance after waiting and working for four years.
Well, if it turns out that he wants to come back for one more shot, he has been granted that opportunity by the NCAA.
Some good news: #Alabama redshirt senior LB Joshua McMillon announces he’s been granted a 6th year of collegiate eligibility after the NCAA awarded him a medical redshirt after he missed the entire 2019 season with an ACL injury in August (courtesy of McMillon’s Facebook page). pic.twitter.com/3O8puPr8r7
— Alex Byington (@_AlexByington) December 21, 2019
A mechanical engineering degree is a fine fallback regardless of what happens in his football career. Pete Golding had this to say about him last offseason:
“Obviously, he’s an engineering major, but football comes easy to him. He understands the Xs and Os and all those things. My biggest message to Josh, and it has been what I think he’s been doing now, is he’s having the ability to affect the 10 guys around him. I think the biggest thing from that position from an athletic standpoint, right, we’ve got guys who are more athletic than he is, and he knows that and I told him that.”
“But his ability to get guys lined up, make the calls, and then he’s smart enough based on the formation and a back set, tendencies that we’ll give him and that he studies, that he can anticipate things, which allows him to perform at the line and make some plays that athletically maybe other people couldn’t just because he understands, obviously, what’s coming.”
We will see what Josh decides to do, but the staff clearly wants him back. Regardless of his decision, he is a fine representative of his family, the school and the football program.
Roll Tide, Josh.