UCF teammate: McKenzie Milton 'got to walk' after knee surgery
Central Florida quarterback McKenzie Milton walked over the weekend for the first time after a gruesome knee injury, a teammate told ESPN on Monday.
Milton took a hard hit to his right knee during a third-down scramble in a 38-10 win over South Florida on Friday. His UCF teammates surrounded Milton while he was attended to and carted off.
The entire UCF team is out on the field surrounding McKenzie Milton. pic.twitter.com/ofX8kLKmyQ
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Offensive lineman Jordan Johnson, Milton’s classmate and close friend, said Milton told him he walked shortly after his surgery.
Milton appreciates ability to walk
Johnson said he called Milton via FaceTime to check in on him and the quarterback assured his teammates he was “there for us.” The junior offensive lineman said the team is playing for Milton and wants to win for him.
“It was all good vibes,” he said, per ESPN. “I told him it was good to see him smiling. He said that he got to walk the other day, and he never appreciated walking as much.”
Knights coach Josh Heupel, who along with teammates visited Milton in the hospital, said his offensive leader has been “really positive” throughout the process.
Milton remains hospitalized
Milton underwent surgery Saturday and remains at Tampa General. The school has not and will not release his exact injury, leaving it up to the Milton family, Heupel said Monday. ESPN reported there is no update on when he’ll be released or if he’ll be able to attend Saturday’s AAC title game against Memphis.
Milton has been one of college football’s best quarterbacks over the past two years, placing eighth in Heisman Trophy voting in 2017. The Hawaii native led UCF to an 11-0 mark this year with 24 passing touchdowns and nine scores on the ground. Last year, he threw for 4,037 yards and 37 touchdowns while rushing for 613 yards and eight scores as the Knights went 13-0.
With Milton sidelined, Darriel Mack Jr. will get the start in the AAC title game against Memphis on Saturday. Mack completed 5-of-14 passes for 81 yards and ran for 51 yards after Milton left the game. When Milton missed the East Carolina game, Mack threw for 69 yards and rushed for 120 yards in a 37-10 win.
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