{"id":105299,"date":"2019-12-12T09:45:20","date_gmt":"2019-12-12T14:45:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299///news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299//www.ucf.edu/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299//news/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299//?p=105299"},"modified":"2020-02-12T11:03:40","modified_gmt":"2020-02-12T16:03:40","slug":"next-steps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299///news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299//www.ucf.edu/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299//news/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299//next-steps/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299//","title":{"rendered":"Next Steps"},"content":{"rendered":"

McKenzie Milton scans the football field at Spectrum Stadium from an all-new vantage point for him: a 6th-story suite high above the bowled-in grass. On Dec. 13, the Hawaiian-born UCF quarterback will graduate with a degree in sport and exercise science. Milton says he/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u2019s excited to walk in his cap and gown. He plans to use his education and playing experience to coach football. Not yet, though. /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u201cSomeday,/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u201d he says. At the moment he/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u2019s craning his neck to get a full view of the field where he led the Knights to national prominence and blossomed into a Heisman Trophy candidate before suffering a devastating leg injury against South Florida on November 23, 2018. /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u201cI miss it,/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u201d he says of the game that he sees as prominently in his future as it has been in his past./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/n

/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u201cI/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u2019m so grateful God led me to UCF. My story here is not finished./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u201d/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/n

/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u2014 McKenzie Milton/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/n

/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u201cYou might have a hard time understanding this. But as chaotic as football can be, it/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u2019s actually calming to me. My time away from the game has made me realize that it really is an escape. All of your day-to-day problems go away on the field. It/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u2019s another reason I/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u2019m putting in so much work to play again./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u201d/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/n

/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u201cI see the scar on my leg every day. It reminds me of how far I/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u2019ve come. All the surgeries. All the rehab. My leg went from looking terrible to looking better /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u2026 to looking terrible again and then better. So when I look at where I am today, I/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u2019m excited to think of the plan God has for me a year from now./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u201d/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/n

/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u201cJanuary could be a big month. Hopefully, the doctors will let me get out of my brace and clear me to start running. If it happens, great. If not, I/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u2019ve learned to just bite my lip and keep working./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u201d/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/n

/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u201cThere are three big motivators for me. My family will always be a motivation. There/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u2019s also the fact that the struggle to come back is just you against you /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u2014 it/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u2019s asking yourself, /news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u201cHow badly do you want this?/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u201d And third, (defensive back) Brandon Moore is also recovering from a bad knee injury. We keep each other going./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u201d/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/n

/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u201cMy situation has put a lot of everyday details into perspective. I don/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u2019t take walking for granted. Or being able to put shoes on. Some people are never able to do those things. I/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u2019m blessed to do whatever I can do and especially to have the people who have supported me./news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/u201d/news/wp-json/wp/v2/posts/105299/n