When sophomore cornerback Jalen Mills arrived on campus, he was not expected to be a freshman phenom. Instead, he was seemingly destined to back up Heisman finalist and defensive back Tyrann Mathieu.
But following Mathieu’s dismissal from the LSU football team in August 2012, Mills was unexpectedly put into a starting role less than a month before the season opener.
Starting all 13 games last season, Mills tallied 57 tackles, broke up five passes and nabbed two interceptions.
“As soon as [the Mathieu] situation happened, he stepped in, and it was like Tyrann never left because of his attitude and his swagger,” said junior defensive tackle Anthony Johnson.
But Mills did not just fall into the starting position. His teammates echoed one another, saying he was one of the first people on the field and one of the last to leave practice after doing extra drills.
“Whenever he came here, he was really hungry,” said junior linebacker D.J. Welter. “He was thrust into it, but at the same time, he had to work very hard.”
Mills’ inaugural season was not without its low points. In LSU’s final defensive drive against Alabama on Nov. 3, 2012, he blitzed past running back T.J. Yeldon, leaving him open to score the game-winning touchdown.
He tried to take these miscues and use them as motivation going into 2013.
“Last season was a really humbling experience,” Mills said. “I did a lot of things that a lot of people thought were good, but I did not think they were good enough. … It really added a fuel to the fire during the offseason.”
The experience Mills gained as a freshman has allowed him to grow into a leadership role. Despite his young age, he has earned the respect of all his teammates.
“Even though I still see myself as a young guy, I’m kind of an old guy because of the number of games I played last year,” Mills said. “I just try to give those guys confidence. Let them know they are here for a purpose.”
Mills has embraced his role as a leader. When he talks, people listen.
Welter said he has used his leadership skills to infuse his work ethic into his fellow defensive backs.
“He’s really taken a hold of the defensive backs and doing extra drills with them,” Welter said. “He came out here and brought up the young guys. … There’s no doubt he knows what he’s talking about. He’s worked hard to perfect his skill.”
Mills said the most important improvement he made in the offseason was to his confidence.
That’s not to say he lacked confidence in 2012, but the initial jitters of going up against 11 players with more experience than him has dissipated.
“His confidence was pretty high as a freshman, but now it is even higher,” Welter said. “That’s how you have to be at cornerback. The spotlight is on you, and if you do bad, people know. He’s not scared. He goes out there and lays it on the line.”
“As soon as [the Mathieu] situation happened, he stepped in and it was like Tyrann never left because of his attitude and his swagger.”
LSU freshman cornerbacks Jalen Collins (32) and Jalen Mills (28) tackle Arkansas junior wide receiver Demetrius Wilson (81) during the Tiger's 20-13 win over the Razorbacks on November 23, 2012.
