McKenzie Milton scans the football field at Spectrum Stadium from an all-new vantage point for him: a 6th-story suite high above the bowled-in grass. On Dec. 13, the Hawaiian-born UCF quarterback will graduate with a degree in sport and exercise science. Milton says he 麻豆精品 S檚 excited to walk in his cap and gown. He plans to use his education and playing experience to coach football. Not yet, though. 麻豆精品 S淪omeday, 麻豆精品 S� he says. At the moment he 麻豆精品 S檚 craning his neck to get a full view of the field where he led the Knights to national prominence and blossomed into a Heisman Trophy candidate before suffering a devastating leg injury against South Florida on November 23, 2018. 麻豆精品 S淚 miss it, 麻豆精品 S� he says of the game that he sees as prominently in his future as it has been in his past.
麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檓 so grateful God led me to UCF. My story here is not finished. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S� McKenzie Milton
麻豆精品 S淵ou might have a hard time understanding this. But as chaotic as football can be, it 麻豆精品 S檚 actually calming to me. My time away from the game has made me realize that it really is an escape. All of your day-to-day problems go away on the field. It 麻豆精品 S檚 another reason I 麻豆精品 S檓 putting in so much work to play again. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淚 see the scar on my leg every day. It reminds me of how far I 麻豆精品 S檝e come. All the surgeries. All the rehab. My leg went from looking terrible to looking better 麻豆精品 S� to looking terrible again and then better. So when I look at where I am today, I 麻豆精品 S檓 excited to think of the plan God has for me a year from now. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淛anuary could be a big month. Hopefully, the doctors will let me get out of my brace and clear me to start running. If it happens, great. If not, I 麻豆精品 S檝e learned to just bite my lip and keep working. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淭here are three big motivators for me. My family will always be a motivation. There 麻豆精品 S檚 also the fact that the struggle to come back is just you against you 麻豆精品 S� it 麻豆精品 S檚 asking yourself, 麻豆精品 S淗ow badly do you want this? 麻豆精品 S� And third, (defensive back) Brandon Moore is also recovering from a bad knee injury. We keep each other going. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淢y situation has put a lot of everyday details into perspective. I don 麻豆精品 S檛 take walking for granted. Or being able to put shoes on. Some people are never able to do those things. I 麻豆精品 S檓 blessed to do whatever I can do and especially to have the people who have supported me. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淢y mom has been living with me since the injury. When I go back to my apartment at the end of the day I see Mili (his Maltese named after Mililani, the town where he grew up in Hawaii) and I smell mom 麻豆精品 S檚 food. It makes me feel like a kid again, like everything is OK. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淔amily is really important in Hawaii. It was hard to leave after my senior year of high school, but I needed to spread my wings. Anywhere on the mainland is a long way from home. I visited UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 campus in February and saw the beauty and the green all around. It reminded me of home at that time of year 麻豆精品 S� except with no mountains. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淚 wanted to go back home after my freshman year. My dad said, 麻豆精品 S淕oing to UCF was your first grown-man decision, so don 麻豆精品 S檛 quit. 麻豆精品 S� I literally thank God that I stuck it out. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淭he most memorable moment so far? Mike Hughes returning that kickoff for the touchdown to beat USF in 2017. A week later we won the conference championship and then the Peach Bowl against Auburn. Just two years out from being 0-12, we went 12-0 and became a household brand nationwide. You can go to a school accustomed to winning, but it 麻豆精品 S檚 incredible to be here while something special is being built. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淪enior Night was not goodbye. I saw it as an opportunity to share a moment with the guys I came into UCF with, to walk out with them in front of my family and their families. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淧eople might always ask me about the injury. And that 麻豆精品 S檚 OK. It 麻豆精品 S檚 now a part of me and my story. I 麻豆精品 S檒l do everything possible to play in the NFL, but I 麻豆精品 S檓 at peace knowing God is the author and that He has my story written. I look forward to living it out, however it goes. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淎 lot of my teammates come from places where they don 麻豆精品 S檛 have much. For them to make it at a major D-1 program is way bigger than me coming back from my injury. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檒l be a better coach because of this. The adversity will allow me to empathize with others. I recognize that physical pain is one thing, but mental and spiritual pain is even tougher. A lot of my teammates come from places where they don 麻豆精品 S檛 have much. For them to make it at a major D-1 program is way bigger than me coming back from my injury. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淥ne quote about coaching has always stuck with me. Billy Graham said, 麻豆精品 S淎 coach will affect more people in one year than most people will affect in a lifetime. 麻豆精品 S� At a certain age, boys can go one of two ways. That 麻豆精品 S檚 why I 麻豆精品 S檓 taking post-graduate classes in educational leadership. I want to develop boys the right way 麻豆精品 S� into grown men. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淟ook at those kids on the field. That 麻豆精品 S檚 Dillon (Gabriel) showing a youth team from Hawaii around. How cool is that? UCF has become a favorite college team on Oahu. After I came, then it was Dillon, Lokahi (Pauole), and Canton [Kaumatule]. It 麻豆精品 S檚 an honor to have started a little pipeline from Hawaii to UCF. 麻豆精品 S�
麻豆精品 S淭here are a lot of memories down there. But being carted off the field isn 麻豆精品 S檛 the way I want to end my career. The triumphs and tragedies you share with your guys 麻豆精品 S� there 麻豆精品 S檚 nothing quite like it. I 麻豆精品 S檒l work my butt off until I 麻豆精品 S檓 ready to roll with them again. I 麻豆精品 S檓 so grateful God led me to UCF. My story here is not finished. 麻豆精品 S�
