The other side of that hit on UCF quarterback Milton
TAMPA — Only after the USF regular season ended did its most experienced cornerback truly get torched.
In the form of incendiary bombs tossed his way on social media, Mazzi Wilkins has been assaulted with threats, profanities and labels such as “thug,” “punk” and worse.
Presumably, they’ve come from UCF’s fan base, or at least the bowels of it.
“Oh yeah, I got so much backlash,” Wilkins, now training for the NFL draft in Minnesota, said by phone Friday. “It got really bad.”
This has been Wilkins’ life since Nov. 23 when his legal tackle (no penalty was called) on McKenzie Milton resulted in a career-jeopardizing right knee injury to the UCF quarterback.
Milton sustained a knee dislocation and nerve damage, and already has undergone a handful of surgeries.
“I made that tackle so many other times and nothing bad ever has happened,” Wilkins said. “And then just this one time, just a freak accident.”
Wilkins has watched the play countless times and said he doesn’t second-guess doing what he was taught “from the first time I put on a helmet.”
In man-to-man coverage on the short side of the field, Wilkins saw Milton keep the ball and sprint right. After shedding a blocker, Wilkins lowered his head and hit Milton below the waist.
The ensuing vitriol went below the belt.
“You never want to hurt anybody,” said Wilkins, a Tampa Plant High alumnus who finished his USF career with three interceptions and 19 pass breakups.
“If you watch the tape you can tell that I felt sorry once it happened. But I got threats against my hit Nov. 23 that parents, against my mom under my Instagram pictures. People going on Facebook, Twitter, everything.”
When the barrage became unbearable, Wilkins said he deleted a lot of the tweets and messages but saved some.
One tweet, from @MyManMoyer, called Wilkins “the dirtiest player in the NCAA.” In a direct message, @bobbledthesnap said: “[Expletive] dirty [expletive] scumbag [expletive]. They teach you to tackle like that in practice? Punk [expletive] [expletive] [expletive].”
“I didn’t want to keep seeing it,” said Wilkins, who is one course from completing his degree in health sciences. “It was starting to bother me, so I just blocked every person that sent me things like that. I might have one or two left; I still get one every now and then from somebody.”
Wilkins said he hasn’t spoken directly with Milton since the play, but would like to. Roughly two hours after the conclusion of the game, a 38-10 UCF victory, Wilkins sent a tweet indicating he was praying for Milton and wishing him a “speedy recovery.”
Milton, meantime, continues making astounding progress in his recovery, releasing a short Instagram video Wednesday showing him pressing 40 pounds with his right leg. He is set for another surgery on Jan. 25, according to his mother.
“I just feel bad that it had to happen like that, and it had to happen to such a great player that he is,” Wilkins said. “I don’t wish no injury on anybody.”