When McKenzie Milton was being recruited, not many schools were knocking on the door of a 5-foot-10-inch, 160-pound quarterback. Even though he was breaking almost every high school passing record in Hawaii, many recruiters had concerns about Milton鈥檚 size and throwing skills. The records he was breaking once belonged to former University of Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. All of those records Milton was breaking would eventually be broken by current 麻豆原创 quarterback and his best friend, Dillon Gabriel.

Former 麻豆原创 head coach Scott Frost saw something in Milton. He was named MVP of a summer passing camp at the University of Oregon 鈥� where Frost served as offensive coordinator before coming to 麻豆原创 鈥� and he wondered if the Ducks should take a closer look.

Frost never got to make that pitch to Oregon. Instead, he became the head coach at 麻豆原创 and convinced Milton to travel all the way from his Hawaii home to a new home in Orlando.

We know the rest of the story 鈥� a story filled with incredible football memories. Highlights of a player who dazzled us time after time. A player who brought a nation of fans together to cheer on their team Saturdays in the fall. Milton and his teammates took 麻豆原创 to the national stage with undefeated regular and appearances in major bowl games.

There are many reasons why 麻豆原创 and its brand have grown through the years. McKenzie Milton has played a role in that growth.

There are many reasons why 麻豆原创 and its brand have grown through the years. McKenzie Milton has played a role in that growth.

His success on the field made the national media pay attention and what they saw was a talented player with talented teammates. They saw a packed stadium with an atmosphere as good as any campus in the country and they learned more about a university and everything it offers.

But Milton always knew he was more than just a great quarterback on a team that captured the nation鈥檚 attention. As someone who has had the privilege to broadcast every play of his 麻豆原创 career, some of the best moments I can share are that of Milton off the field.

For example, on a rainy Saturday in October of the 2018 season, 麻豆原创 had rallied from a 16-point deficit to beat Memphis on the road, 31-30, and extend its winning streak to 19. He scored the game winning touchdown by flipping into the end zone on a running play. With a shoulder hurting and an ankle sprained from the fall and multiple hits throughout the game, a battered and bruised Milton exited the 麻豆原创 locker room from the Liberty Bowl in Memphis.

His post-game media duties were done and with a boxed-meal in hand, he could have easily found his bus and sat for a moment to absorb the day. But he saw Knight fans who traveled from Orlando, Philadelphia, Texas and Chicago. They cheered him and thanked him. But Milton didn鈥檛 just smile and keep moving. He stopped. He smiled and hugged them back. He posed for pictures. He signed autographs and he thanked them.

He knew that staying just a little longer after a game to interact with fans meant much to Knight Nation. So time and time again he stayed. Why? Because that鈥檚 just who McKenzie Milton is and always will be.

When he suffered his horrific injury in November 2018, he began a new journey. His road to recovery saw fans connect in a different way, a more spiritual impact than clapping and yelling from the stands. Each update on progress brought hope, and hope brought anticipation. Could he return from an injury so severe to reach a point that he might play again?

That answer is yet to be known, but if he does play again it will be in a different uniform. Milton says he considers current 麻豆原创 quarterback Dillon Gabriel as his younger brother. After all, Gabriel took that 4,747 mile journey, as well. He is on pace to shatter not only Milton鈥檚 passing records but every other passing record in the 麻豆原创 history book.

Milton decided the torch has been passed. He felt he could not put Gabriel in the position to step aside or even share the spotlight.

So he chose a new place to play one more season 鈥� and has committed to FSU. He wants one more chance to run out of a tunnel and one more chance to lead a team. He wants one more chance to be, well鈥o be his old self again.

There are questions he 鈥� like everyone 鈥� ponders. Can he be what he once was? Can he take a hit from an opposing player? But the burning desire to find out takes Milton away from his second home.

麻豆原创 will always be a home for McKenzie Milton. He came to Orlando as the skinny kid from a town in Hawaii. He leaves as maybe the most impactful athlete ever to represent the black and gold. His impact on not just the football program but the school will last forever. No matter where he goes and no matter what happens, once a Knight鈥lways a Knight.

Marc Daniels is the radio play-by-play voice for 麻豆原创 Athletics and serves as director of broadcasting for the Knights. He can be reached at聽mdaniels@athletics.ucf.edu.

The聽麻豆原创 Forum聽is a weekly series of opinion columns from faculty, staff and students who serve on a panel for a year. A new column is posted each Wednesday on聽麻豆原创 Today聽and then broadcast on W麻豆原创-FM (89.9) between 7:50 and 8 a.m. Sunday. Opinions expressed are those of the columnists, and are not necessarily shared by the 麻豆原创.

The Hawaii quarterback 鈥� who led the 麻豆原创 football team to arguably its most successful seasons in program history and inspired fans everywhere with his incredible comeback story following a devastating leg injury 鈥� is headed elsewhere to continue his college football career.

Despite all his success with the Knights, he’s doing this with the most unselfish of motives. He still believes he can play football鈥攁nd he has no interest in competing for the 麻豆原创 quarterback job against his best friend, Dillon Gabriel.

So he has decided his best move is to say his good-byes in Orlando, enter the transfer portal and find an opportunity somewhere else.

Yet, as 麻豆原创 head coach聽Josh Heupel says emphatically, he qualifies as “the most influential person in the history of our program.”

As hard as it is to leave a place that has become home to him, Milton has decided to move on.

Success, Setback and Comeback

To understand Milton’s priorities is to appreciate the totality of his five years with the Knights. He made the long trip from Hawaii in early 2016 for official visits to Navy and 麻豆原创 and fell in love with the Knights’ campus and program.

He became the starting quarterback three games into what became a 6-7 freshman season in 2016.

“It was a rollercoaster, trying to win a team over with a bunch of seniors and a bunch of upperclassmen who really did not know a lot about me,” he says. “I thought we could have done a lot better, but you have to go through those woes sometimes. It was an interesting journey, for sure, that first year. I felt like I had to go through that to take the next step the next year and then the year after that.”

Milton decided quickly his sophomore season that big things might well be on the horizon. He placed his trust within the leadership of the team and had a good feeling about the Knights’ schedule.

His gut feeling was validated after the Knights finished the 2017 season undefeated, capping the perfect season with a victory over No. 7 Auburn at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

“My favorite memory was just being with the boys on the plane-ride back 鈥� it was the last time that group was going to be together,” he says. “The wins and losses come and go, but the relationships you build with your teammates and coaches, that’s forever.”

He has continued to be a leader and draw strength in those relationships with his teammates after he was sidelined in 2018 with a traumatic injury at USF that nearly cost him his leg.

A week after the injury 麻豆原创 dedicated the 2018 AAC Championship Game victory over Memphis to Milton, distributing 40,000 leis to fans at the Knights’ stadium.

麻豆原创 player helmet bumpers read 808 (for the Hawaii area code), with stickers on the back that said 10hana, a combination of Milton’s jersey number and the Hawaiian word “ohana” (it means family).

“This place will be ohana forever with the Miltons,” Heupel says.

What came next was a two-year story of rehabilitation and visits to the Mayo Clinic鈥攂ut, more than anything, endless and painstaking work by Milton to give himself a chance to play again. During that time, he remained as dedicated to finishing his bachelor’s degree and earned his diploma in sports and exercise science last fall.

“To see someone walk that mountain and pick themselves up every single day and fight and strive鈥攊t’s lessons I’ll forever take with me and it’s something that’s been demonstrated to our entire football team,” Heupel says.

Making the Decision

Over the last two seasons, one of Milton’s closest friendships has been with fellow Hawaiian quarterback Dillion Gabriel.

As Gabriel’s on-field performance this season skyrocketed him to the top of the national leaders for passing yardage and total offense, Milton was slowly but surely reaching the point where he could think seriously about being able to return to competition. And that scenario prompted Milton to consider another option.

Milton approached Heupel in early November to have one of the most difficult conversations of his life.

“I didn’t want to blindside him at the end of the season,” Milton says. “With the trajectory of our team, Dillon has earned the right to be our quarterback. And yet I have one shot to chase a dream. If I was a coach, I couldn’t make [Dillion Gabriel] take a back seat. He’s earned it. But, at the same time, I want to play, too.

鈥淚 told Coach, 鈥業t鈥檚 hard, one of the hardest things for me to do. But it makes the most sense.鈥� 鈥淚 tried to think about it more logically than emotionally because I bleed black and gold 鈥� this is where my heart is at. At the same time, I鈥檝e got one shot to go get it.

“It’s DG’s team now鈥擨 feel like the torch is passed. …. DG is like a little brother to me, and with the trajectory he’s on, I wouldn’t want to slow down his momentum.”

The two continued to have conversations, and after the regular season finale at USF on Nov. 27. Heupel sat down with the Milton family where the quarterback made his final decision.

鈥淚 said to him, 鈥業 love you fiercely. This will always be your home,鈥� 鈥� says Heupel.

Leaving a Legacy

Milton will forever be remembered at 麻豆原创 for his relentless pursuit of greatness in every aspect of his life.

“When I stepped between the lines, I gave 麻豆原创 everything I had,” he says. “When I look back, I’d do it all the same 鈥� I wouldn’t change a thing, pre-injury, post-injury. That’s why I am who I am today because of all that.”

And he is appreciative for the love and support that Knight Nation provided to help him through some of the toughest days of his life.

“I say thank you for your support through the good times and bad, thanks for the prayers. I would not have the opportunity to play football again without the thoughts and prayers of so many people. I’m forever indebted and grateful to Knight Nation for all the love.

“But I was just one cog in the wheel of success. There’s no聽McKenzie Milton without all the other players and coaches.”

Heupel believes Milton has cemented his status as one of the greatest players in the history of the program.

“You look at the 麻豆原创 brand before he got here and the brand as he’s leaving鈥攁nd it’s a tribute to him,” he says. “KZ leaves 麻豆原创 a better place.”

And then some.