As McKenzie Milton lofted a pass into the waiting arms of Greg McCrae for a moment, it seemed as if nothing had changed. It was like it was on those Saturday afternoons in 2018 when UCF was rolling to a 25-game winning streak.
Other familiar faces like Nate Evans, Adrian Killins and Cole Schneider were back celebrating alongside their former teammates. But instead of being in a packed Bounce House, they were in Nicholson Fieldhouse, reunited for Friday’s Pro Day.
“It was a lot of fun to see these guys go and do everything,” said Milton. “As time goes by, I realize how good our teams were in 2017 and 2018. We had a special group with a lot of NFL talent, and in my opinion, some of the best teams to ever play college football.”
When Milton arrived on campus as a fresh-faced high school prospect in 2016, he couldn’t have possibly imagined the twists and turns to come.
There were back-to-back American Athletic Conference titles and consecutive New Year’s Six appearances in 2017-18 and a devastating knee injury that almost cost him his right leg. He underwent multiple surgeries and almost two years of painful rehabilitation before stepping back on the field on Sept. 5 after transferring to Florida State.
While his spirit may have been tested, it never broke.
Milton hopes it all will pay off with a chance to play at the next level. He’s optimistic after showcasing his talent to NFL personnel twice this week: once at FSU’s Pro Day on Tuesday and again Friday.
“This is a good culmination of six years of work,” he said of his performance Friday. I’ve shown what I wanted to offer in terms of mobility and throwing the ball. We’ll see what happens. Hopefully, I will get a call.”
Milton’s performance has earned the admiration of his former teammates.
“I’m just mesmerized by him and he’s most definitely the G.O.A.T. [Greatest of All Time] in my book,” said UCF defensive lineman Kalia Davis.
A possible NFL career aside, it’s been quite the year for Milton.
Last July, he became a vocal proponent of legislation that allowed college athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness, joining former Miami quarterback D’Eriq King in cofounding Dreamfield, a NIL-based company out of Orlando. He also formed his own company, 10Ohana, which sells his clothing line and offers personal appearances.
He stepped back on the football field last fall for the first time since his Nov. 23, 2018, injury and almost led Florida State to a come-from-behind win over Notre Dame in Tallahassee. He finished with 775 yards and 3 touchdowns in six appearances for the Seminoles.
Milton got engaged to his girlfriend, Jany Arbos, in January and the couple is expecting its first child later this year.
“It has been a whirlwind,” said Milton. “We’ve got a lot going on, but many great things happened in my life. There are just many blessings in my life that I wouldn’t be in this situation if I didn’t get hurt.”
While football will always play a massive role in his life, being a father is one he’s looking forward to embracing.
“That’s the most important thing that I’ll ever do,” he said. “My dad has always been my role model, and that’s someone I’ve tried to emulate, so just the fact that I get to go into those shoes here in a few months, it’s super exciting for me.”
As Milton walked off the field, he wrapped his arm around his fiancé and the couple slowly made their way home.
It was the end of another chapter, but not the end of his story.
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Matt Murschel at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter at @osmattmurschel.
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