Former Tennessee QB Joe Milton had a signature moment in Patriots' second preseason game

Former Tennessee Vols quarterback Joe Milton had a signature moment on Thursday night in the New England Patriots' preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Milton's moment wasn't because it became at important time in the game -- it's preseason, no one really cares what the score is. And it wasn't even because it resulted in a first down (in fact, he came up short on third down). Instead it was because it shows the toughness that Milton consistently brings to the field -- in a meaningless preseason game nonetheless.

The former Vol trucked an Eagles defensive back before getting tackled short of the line to gain by a linebacker. Milton immediately popped up and talked a little trash to the defensive back.

Milton still has plenty of room for improvement in his game -- it's why he slipped to the sixth round of the draft earlier this spring. But he clearly has elite tools. And more importantly, he cares. He wants to improve, and he wants to compete on every rep. As long as Milton continues with that approach, he'll always have a chance to earn a role for an NFL franchise.

Related: Former Vols OC Alex Golesh gets candid about taking over a tough situation at Tennessee in 2021