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Former Tennessee QB Joe Milton explains his unique reason for signing with Michigan out of high school

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Zach Ragan | Last updated Jun 4, 2024 6:15 PM ET

New England Patriots rookie quarterback Joe Milton spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Michigan before transferring to Tennessee ahead of the 2021 season.

Milton, a Florida native, signed with Michigan out of high school, choosing the Wolverines over the Georgia Bulldogs.

"I went to church that Sunday wearing red and white," said Milton in 2019. "I was thinking heavily about Georgia. But as I was praying there, the school that was standing out was Michigan."

On Tuesday, at Patriots minicamp, Milton told reporters that one of the main reasons he went to Michigan was because he hadn't experienced playing in cold weather in Florida. And he knew if he made it to the NFL that there would be a decent chance he'd play in cold weather.

Joe Milton says he initially went to Michigan because he wanted to get used to playing in the snow

“You never know where you’re gonna end up”
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This isn't the first time that Milton has mentioned cold weather as one of his main reasons for committing to Michigan.

"Another thing that turned me to Michigan was the snow," said Milton in 2019. "I'm from Florida and had never seen snow a day in my life. Unless you go to like the Miami Dolphins or Tampa Bay or Texas, it's probably going to be cold in the NFL. So, I'd rather get used to it now rather than later."

Milton echoed those sentiments in 2020.

"My main, my main, my main, my main-- I say this everyday, it was the snow for me because everywhere in the NFL is cold," explained Milton during his final season at Michigan. "I would rather get used to it now than later."

That turned out to be a wise move by Milton, a sixth round selection by the Patriots earlier this spring. New England, after all, can be brutally cold in the winter. And we've seen plenty of snow games at Gillette Stadium.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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