Still sounds like a great kid. I know he wants to play again. If that doesn't work out, I wonder what the chances are of him pursuing a post-grad degree working as a GA "somewhere" . . .
http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...nzie-milton-journey-own-words-got-hurt-reason
UCF QB McKenzie Milton's journey, in his own words: 'I got hurt for a reason'
UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton is working to recover from a devastating leg injury suffered on Nov. 23. Laura Heald for ESPN
Apr 18, 2019
McKenzie Milton led UCF into last year's regular-season finale against USF the Friday after Thanksgiving on a 23-game winning streak, hoping to close out another undefeated season and clinch a second straight New Year's Six Bowl. But a devastating injury to his right leg in the second quarter changed everything for Milton. The quarterback, called "KZ" by friends, details the journey to recovery and what happens next, as told to ESPN's Andrea Adelson.
It's weird, thinking about it now. Before the game even started, I felt unsettled. During the game, too. I don't know why. I never have butterflies. I almost threw up on the sideline, and I've never done that. I even told DJ [Milton's backup, Darriel Mack Jr.], "Bro, I feel like throwing up."
We got off to a slow start and led 7-0 in the second quarter. It was third-and-7. We looked to the sideline to check for a play called Sling Push. After the D-end clamped, the corner, Mazzi Wilkins, peeled off and kind of caught me off guard; he dove for my leg, and his helmet went straight onto my knee. The next thing I know, my leg was just kind of dangling there.
I took one look at it for a split second, and I put my head back down, thinking, "Wow, this doesn't really feel real." I knew it was bad, but I didn't really feel too much pain, I guess from the adrenaline and shock. It happened right next to the USF sideline, and next thing I know, the USF trainer was out there, and coach Charlie Strong was out there, asking me, "KZ, how are you doing? How are you doing?" I said, "Coach, I'm not doing that great," and then Mary Vander Heiden, our head athletic trainer, was over me, and I feel Dr. [Kenneth] Krumins, our team physician at the time, tugging on my knee. I felt him put it back into place.
John Evans, our team chaplain, was praying over me, and both sidelines were clear. Coach Strong kept asking, "How you doing, KZ?" I kept telling him, "Coach, I don't know. My leg hurts." I started feeling the pain. I felt it throbbing. They took off my shoe, cut my tape, and they were feeling for a pulse down in my leg, and I wasn't really sure why.
USF's DBs coach came out and told me, "You're the best I've ever seen at this level. I have a lot of respect for you. I'll be praying for you."
Zach Miller [the Chicago Bears tight end suffered a similar trauma in 2017, which Milton saw at the time.]. I heard he could've lost his leg from his injury, and I remember seeing it, and I was like, "Dang, am I in that situation?" A normal ACL tear, you're not going to rush to the hospital for that. The fact they couldn't find a pulse was scary.
When we got to Tampa General Hospital, I saw my mom waiting in the hallway, and that's when I started crying. I had a CAT scan, and it showed I had a torn popliteal artery. The doctors told me, "We're going to have to go into surgery right away to try and restore the blood flow to the bottom of your leg." I went into surgery at about 6 or 7 p.m. and woke up around midnight. I looked to see if I still had my leg, and it was still there.
My parents, my girlfriend, Coach [Josh] Heupel, [UCF athletic director] Danny White and many of my teammates were all there. I saw Sam Jackson, our offensive lineman, and told him we were matching now because he had an ACL earlier that spring. Seeing all those people there definitely lifted me up at that time. I saw a different side of Coach Heupel, a softer side.
I had a huge contraption on my leg: two pins sticking into my bones in my thigh and the bones in my shin. Anybody that dislocates their knee, that's what they get, to essentially keep your leg in place. At this point, I thought I tore everything in my knee: the ACL, PCL, MCL, LCL and both meniscuses. I had a huge scar from my left knee to my upper groin in my left side, which is my good side. They had to take the saphenous vein out of my left leg and make a new artery in my right leg to restore blood flow to save the leg, which is amazing. I also had two big cuts on each side of my right leg -- they were open with tubes running in and out with blood just coming out. They had to keep those open because, if not, your leg would puff up and basically explode.
The other scary part of the injury was the nerve damage.
The mere violence of the hit caused the ligaments to tear and the knee to dislocate and tore the artery and stretched the nerve. Sometimes, the nerve can rip. If it does, you're not going to have feeling in your leg the rest of your life. If it stretches, the nerve heals gradually over time, about a millimeter a day, which is not a lot at all. If you have no function in the nerve, you have to cut off your leg because it'll just sag. It'll swell up.
I was happy to have my leg, but I still didn't fully understand how you could lose your leg from playing football. I watched the hit several times in the hospital. I had to. I wanted to see how bad it looked.
I could have maybe jumped over him or something. I don't know. My doctors tell me 0.001 percent of orthopedic injuries are like mine, and this type of injury is typically from motorcycle or car accidents.
Once the artery was repaired, the next biggest thing was addressing the nerve. After the surgery, the doctors would ask me to wiggle my toes, but I couldn't move my feet for the first few days. About Day 3 or 4, I could get a little movement in my toes. Some people with nerve damage, it takes six months for them to even wiggle their toes at all. Mary and Dr. [Michael] Jablonski saw me wiggle my toes, and they were emotional.
In rehab on campus at UCF, McKenzie Milton works on an antigravity treadmill to reduce the amount of weight he puts on his legs. Laura Heald for ESPN
The prognosis: You may never play again. You may be able to play again. We don't know.
It's tough hearing that, but I didn't cry or anything. I said, "Forget that. I believe I'm going to play again." I really do.
By Day 5 or 6, I got a walker. I could go about 10 steps. I was weak. I lost about 30 pounds, going from about 180 to 150. I didn't have a lot of iron in my blood. My back was sore. It was hard to sleep through the night because they had to keep coming in to check my pulse in my foot every two hours to make sure the new artery was functioning properly. I'd have to take blood thinner shots in my stomach to make sure there were no blood clots. It felt like I was in the hospital forever.
There wasn't a moment when I broke down and cried or asked, "Why?" But there were multiple moments when I broke down from the overwhelming support I received from my team, the community and Knight Nation. That was unbelievable to me.
I also reached out to the player who hit me, Mazzi Wilkins. I heard he's getting death threats. Nobody deserves that. Nobody deserves people trying to go after your family. It's ridiculous. We know what we're getting ourselves into playing football. I told him I have no ill will toward him. DBs typically hit low. I know that as a player.
Brandon Moore, Gabe Davis and Tre Nixon came late that night to see me and missed curfew. I had to force them to leave. I was like, "Guys, you've got to play tomorrow. Get out of here."
I wanted to go to the game, but my doctors were worried about infection, so I stayed home with my dad and watched the conference championship against Memphis from my couch. [Memphis led 38-21 at halftime, but UCF rallied to win 56-41.] I was screaming at the TV. I was telling DJ, "Hold on to the darn ball!" He settled in. He did his thing. I was proud of the guys and the way they adjusted in the second half.
I was pretty much bedridden when I got home. You take little things for granted until you're in a situation like that, like showering, brushing your teeth, washing your hair, just walking. I had to use a walker going from room to room, and walking a few feet felt like I ran a whole mile. It was also hard to sleep with the metal contraption on. You can't get comfortable, you can't roll over, and it starts pulling on your skin. It eventually got to a point where I could shower with it. I sat in the shower for an hour.
About three or four weeks later, I had surgery to take the metal brace off before getting well enough to fly with the team to Scottsdale for the Fiesta Bowl. I was on crutches, in a brace and was weaning off the pain meds so I could go back to normal function, but I was still really weak.
Being up and about doing stuff made me feel so much better. I was excited for the guys playing on that stage against LSU. I still got the same butterflies as if I were playing. I was able to interact with the fans, too. You don't really do that while you're playing. I was on crutches on the sideline, and they're screaming, "KZ, we're rooting for you!"
http://www.espn.com/college-footbal...nzie-milton-journey-own-words-got-hurt-reason
UCF QB McKenzie Milton's journey, in his own words: 'I got hurt for a reason'
UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton is working to recover from a devastating leg injury suffered on Nov. 23. Laura Heald for ESPN
Apr 18, 2019
McKenzie Milton led UCF into last year's regular-season finale against USF the Friday after Thanksgiving on a 23-game winning streak, hoping to close out another undefeated season and clinch a second straight New Year's Six Bowl. But a devastating injury to his right leg in the second quarter changed everything for Milton. The quarterback, called "KZ" by friends, details the journey to recovery and what happens next, as told to ESPN's Andrea Adelson.
It's weird, thinking about it now. Before the game even started, I felt unsettled. During the game, too. I don't know why. I never have butterflies. I almost threw up on the sideline, and I've never done that. I even told DJ [Milton's backup, Darriel Mack Jr.], "Bro, I feel like throwing up."
We got off to a slow start and led 7-0 in the second quarter. It was third-and-7. We looked to the sideline to check for a play called Sling Push. After the D-end clamped, the corner, Mazzi Wilkins, peeled off and kind of caught me off guard; he dove for my leg, and his helmet went straight onto my knee. The next thing I know, my leg was just kind of dangling there.
I took one look at it for a split second, and I put my head back down, thinking, "Wow, this doesn't really feel real." I knew it was bad, but I didn't really feel too much pain, I guess from the adrenaline and shock. It happened right next to the USF sideline, and next thing I know, the USF trainer was out there, and coach Charlie Strong was out there, asking me, "KZ, how are you doing? How are you doing?" I said, "Coach, I'm not doing that great," and then Mary Vander Heiden, our head athletic trainer, was over me, and I feel Dr. [Kenneth] Krumins, our team physician at the time, tugging on my knee. I felt him put it back into place.
John Evans, our team chaplain, was praying over me, and both sidelines were clear. Coach Strong kept asking, "How you doing, KZ?" I kept telling him, "Coach, I don't know. My leg hurts." I started feeling the pain. I felt it throbbing. They took off my shoe, cut my tape, and they were feeling for a pulse down in my leg, and I wasn't really sure why.
USF's DBs coach came out and told me, "You're the best I've ever seen at this level. I have a lot of respect for you. I'll be praying for you."
Zach Miller [the Chicago Bears tight end suffered a similar trauma in 2017, which Milton saw at the time.]. I heard he could've lost his leg from his injury, and I remember seeing it, and I was like, "Dang, am I in that situation?" A normal ACL tear, you're not going to rush to the hospital for that. The fact they couldn't find a pulse was scary.
When we got to Tampa General Hospital, I saw my mom waiting in the hallway, and that's when I started crying. I had a CAT scan, and it showed I had a torn popliteal artery. The doctors told me, "We're going to have to go into surgery right away to try and restore the blood flow to the bottom of your leg." I went into surgery at about 6 or 7 p.m. and woke up around midnight. I looked to see if I still had my leg, and it was still there.
My parents, my girlfriend, Coach [Josh] Heupel, [UCF athletic director] Danny White and many of my teammates were all there. I saw Sam Jackson, our offensive lineman, and told him we were matching now because he had an ACL earlier that spring. Seeing all those people there definitely lifted me up at that time. I saw a different side of Coach Heupel, a softer side.
I had a huge contraption on my leg: two pins sticking into my bones in my thigh and the bones in my shin. Anybody that dislocates their knee, that's what they get, to essentially keep your leg in place. At this point, I thought I tore everything in my knee: the ACL, PCL, MCL, LCL and both meniscuses. I had a huge scar from my left knee to my upper groin in my left side, which is my good side. They had to take the saphenous vein out of my left leg and make a new artery in my right leg to restore blood flow to save the leg, which is amazing. I also had two big cuts on each side of my right leg -- they were open with tubes running in and out with blood just coming out. They had to keep those open because, if not, your leg would puff up and basically explode.
The other scary part of the injury was the nerve damage.
The mere violence of the hit caused the ligaments to tear and the knee to dislocate and tore the artery and stretched the nerve. Sometimes, the nerve can rip. If it does, you're not going to have feeling in your leg the rest of your life. If it stretches, the nerve heals gradually over time, about a millimeter a day, which is not a lot at all. If you have no function in the nerve, you have to cut off your leg because it'll just sag. It'll swell up.
I was happy to have my leg, but I still didn't fully understand how you could lose your leg from playing football. I watched the hit several times in the hospital. I had to. I wanted to see how bad it looked.
I could have maybe jumped over him or something. I don't know. My doctors tell me 0.001 percent of orthopedic injuries are like mine, and this type of injury is typically from motorcycle or car accidents.
Once the artery was repaired, the next biggest thing was addressing the nerve. After the surgery, the doctors would ask me to wiggle my toes, but I couldn't move my feet for the first few days. About Day 3 or 4, I could get a little movement in my toes. Some people with nerve damage, it takes six months for them to even wiggle their toes at all. Mary and Dr. [Michael] Jablonski saw me wiggle my toes, and they were emotional.
In rehab on campus at UCF, McKenzie Milton works on an antigravity treadmill to reduce the amount of weight he puts on his legs. Laura Heald for ESPN
The prognosis: You may never play again. You may be able to play again. We don't know.
It's tough hearing that, but I didn't cry or anything. I said, "Forget that. I believe I'm going to play again." I really do.
By Day 5 or 6, I got a walker. I could go about 10 steps. I was weak. I lost about 30 pounds, going from about 180 to 150. I didn't have a lot of iron in my blood. My back was sore. It was hard to sleep through the night because they had to keep coming in to check my pulse in my foot every two hours to make sure the new artery was functioning properly. I'd have to take blood thinner shots in my stomach to make sure there were no blood clots. It felt like I was in the hospital forever.
There wasn't a moment when I broke down and cried or asked, "Why?" But there were multiple moments when I broke down from the overwhelming support I received from my team, the community and Knight Nation. That was unbelievable to me.
I also reached out to the player who hit me, Mazzi Wilkins. I heard he's getting death threats. Nobody deserves that. Nobody deserves people trying to go after your family. It's ridiculous. We know what we're getting ourselves into playing football. I told him I have no ill will toward him. DBs typically hit low. I know that as a player.
Brandon Moore, Gabe Davis and Tre Nixon came late that night to see me and missed curfew. I had to force them to leave. I was like, "Guys, you've got to play tomorrow. Get out of here."
I wanted to go to the game, but my doctors were worried about infection, so I stayed home with my dad and watched the conference championship against Memphis from my couch. [Memphis led 38-21 at halftime, but UCF rallied to win 56-41.] I was screaming at the TV. I was telling DJ, "Hold on to the darn ball!" He settled in. He did his thing. I was proud of the guys and the way they adjusted in the second half.
I was pretty much bedridden when I got home. You take little things for granted until you're in a situation like that, like showering, brushing your teeth, washing your hair, just walking. I had to use a walker going from room to room, and walking a few feet felt like I ran a whole mile. It was also hard to sleep with the metal contraption on. You can't get comfortable, you can't roll over, and it starts pulling on your skin. It eventually got to a point where I could shower with it. I sat in the shower for an hour.
About three or four weeks later, I had surgery to take the metal brace off before getting well enough to fly with the team to Scottsdale for the Fiesta Bowl. I was on crutches, in a brace and was weaning off the pain meds so I could go back to normal function, but I was still really weak.
Being up and about doing stuff made me feel so much better. I was excited for the guys playing on that stage against LSU. I still got the same butterflies as if I were playing. I was able to interact with the fans, too. You don't really do that while you're playing. I was on crutches on the sideline, and they're screaming, "KZ, we're rooting for you!"
