The devastating injury to McKenzie Milton in the final game of the regular season brought together both the Bulls and Knights coaching staff and players in the immediate wake of the event.
One hundred players gathered around Milton while USF athletic trainers worked on the quarterback from the second he went down. The air sucked out of the stadium and word quickly spread. The front page of Twitter’s trending topics launched news of the knee dislocation during the play.
Scott Frost – former UCF Football head coach and the chief architect of the 2017 season – would learn of what happened to Milton after Iowa narrowly declared victory over the Cornhuskers on Black Friday, the Orlando Sentinel reported Monday.
“First and foremost, KZ and his family have been in my thoughts and prayers since I found out what happened. KZ is like a son to me. I would do anything for him. To see someone that you love go through pain like that is just gut-wrenching,” Frost said on Monday.
“An Injury like he went through is a reminder of how quickly things in life can be taken from you, and that (so) much is beyond your control. I know that KZ is a man of faith, and that faith will help pull him through this tough period.”
Frost recruited McKenzie from Hawaii and threw his playing ability right into the fire against the Big 10’s Maryland at home in 2016. Milton had bright spots that season but shined only months later to lead UCF to their first undefeated season and victory in the Peach Bowl.
“If anyone can come back from an injury of this magnitude, my money would be on KZ,” Frost said. “I would not bet against that kid in football or in life. … Ohana!”
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