UCF QB McKenzie Milton, mom post positive recovery updates
ORLANDO, Fla. — UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton and his mother posted positive messages about his progress following a devastating knee injury, writing he started a “new phase of recovery” following a key visit to the Mayo Clinic.
“Knight Fans thank you for praying and encouraging KZ all the way back to great health! McKenzie has experienced healing and miracles that have surprised so many,” Teresa Milton posted on Twitter early Wednesday morning. “His evaluation went very well. He will start a new phase of recovery! And all I can say is God Is Good!”
McKenzie Milton has spent 21 months recovering from a horrific knee injury he suffered during the Knights’ 2018 regular-season finale against USF at Raymond James Stadium. He was transported to Tampa General Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery to repair damaged nerves and restore blood flow to his lower right leg. The injury nearly forced doctors to amputate his leg.
His mother shared three videos on her Instagram account of the quarterback running, doing lateral slides and putting full weight on his knee. It appeared he had no limitations and had regained much of his range of motion.
While the updates Tuesday night and Wednesday didn’t indicate when Milton might be cleared for full contact workouts or to play in games, there was a celebratory tone following evaluations by his surgical team at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
The quarterback posted a message on his Instagram account late Tuesday thanking Dr. Bruce Levy, an orthopedic surgeon at the Mayo Clinic. He included a photo featuring his mother, UCF head athletic trainer Mary Vander Heiden, Levy and others gathered around a table.
McKenzie Milton’s message read:
“Sometimes unfortunate circumstances can cause you to cross paths with some extremely special people …
“Dr. Levy, I can’t begin to thank you, your beautiful family, & medical team enough for taking on my case and all its complications. As great of a surgeon you are, you happen to be an even better person. A God-fearing man who understands that healing can’t happen just by surgery and rehab alone but divine intervention is needed!
“Doc … I wouldn’t be this far along without you and just from the bottom of my heart thank you, thank you, a million times God bless you and thank you!”
Milton has worked daily to recover from a life-altering tackle during what seemed to be a routine play against USF in November 2018.
“If I felt it right away, I would have fumbled (the football) and I didn’t,” Milton told the Orlando Sentinel four months after the injury. “Then I looked up and saw (my leg). And then I knew something was really bad. I definitely felt it and I didn’t want to look at it.”
He went through multiple surgeries and one doctor told him 50% of people who suffer the same injury usually have to have the leg amputated because the artery has been too damaged or severed and it’s too late to get the blood flow back to the leg.
Milton’s first surgery started less than three hours after the injury, one of many key actions that opened the door to his recovery.
Much of Milton’s time during the past two years has been focused on his rehabilitation. Some of his early recovery work was especially painful, calling for him to do exercises that broke up scar tissue around his knee.
He spent the first five months after the injury in a wheelchair or on crutches before mostly relying on a heavy knee brace that caused him to walk with a limp.
Earlier this year, he was cleared to ditch the restrictive brace for a less bulky one that allowed him to play a limited role during spring football practices.
Milton remained on campus to continue his rehabilitation with the UCF athletic training staff during the coronavirus pandemic. He documented his progress on social media posts, wearing a mask while working in the team’s weight room with teammate Brandon Moore, who is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered during the Knights’ 2019 season opener.
The quarterback continued to thrill fans with his progress, throwing deep passes to former UCF players Jordan Akins, Dredrick Snelson, Gabe Davis and Tre’Quan Smith along with current teammate Jacob Harris in a video shot by Spectrum News 13.
Milton told reporters in May there was a 50-50 chance he’ll be able to play football again during the 2020 season, but he would know more about his future after a visit with his doctor in June.
“It’s still my goal and I go to see my surgeon in June and I’ll know a lot at that point,” Milton said of his push to play during the upcoming football season. “ … I hope that he clears me, but if he doesn’t, it is what it is. It’s been a long hard process and I’ve learned patience through all of this and if I have to wait longer, so be it. If not, whatever he does clear me to do I’ll take that and run with it.”
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