ORLANDO, Fla. – UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton told a teammate he was able to walk over the weekend for the first time since suffering a devastating knee injury against South Florida last Friday.
Milton remains hospitalized at Tampa General, though coach Josh Heupel and teammates have been to visit. Milton took a helmet to his right knee on a scramble during UCF’s 38-10 win, and his leg bent at an awkward angle.
Teammate Jordan Johnson, one of Milton’s best friends, said in an interview Monday that he spoke with Milton over the weekend on FaceTime, and said Milton had walked for the first time since his surgery.
UCF has not released the exact nature of the injury, and Heupel said it would be up to the Milton family to release more details.
“I called him to see how he was doing, and he was letting us know that he’s there for us,” Johnson said. “He wants to see us succeed, so we’re out there playing for McKenzie. We want to go out there and win for him. It was good all good vibes. 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.”
Heupel said Milton has been in good spirits throughout the ordeal.
“He’s been really positive,” Heupel said. “The first thing he asked about before I even got up there was the game. He wanted to know what the final of the game was. Then you talk to him, and his next thought is turning to this ball game and his teammates. He cares deeply about what he and the team’s put into this season, expects us to go out and play in a great way. His thoughts will be with us on game day certainly.”
UCF must prepare to face Memphis in the AAC championship game on Saturday without Milton, but there is no shortage of confidence in backup Darriel Mack, who played well in relief against USF.
But everybody inside the UCF football building understands Milton will be at the front of their thoughts. UCF fans have started a campaign to wear black and gold leis on Saturday, in honor of Milton’s roots in Hawaii.
“Everyone in our program has great love and respect for McKenzie and our thoughts and prayers are constantly with him,” Heupel said. “At the same time, we’re gonna go out and play our hearts out. He’ll be a part of who and what we’re doing on the field, there’s absolutely no doubt about that.”
There is no update on when Milton will be released from the hospital, or whether it’s even possible for him to attend the game in person on Saturday.
“There’s been an outpouring of support for him, and he’s appreciative, and he’ll fight back,” Heupel said. “The hurdles he’s had to clear up until this point, he’s cleared in typical McKenzie fashion. He hurdles them and does a great job. He’s got more in front of him, but he’s a fighter. He’s a competitor. He’ll be back.”