College football team rankings
See who starts at the bottom of insider Matt Murschel’s list.
UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton spent the past two days in New York enjoying a variety of activities as one of the finalists for the AAU James E. Sullivan Award.
The award is presented annually to the top amateur athlete in the United States who shows leadership, character and sportsmanship while embodying the ideals of amateurism.
The eight finalists were recognized during a ceremony Tuesday night headlined by Carl Lewis before Stanford volleyball player Kathryn Plummer ultimately won the award.
Milton, who suffered a catastrophic right knee injury in November during UCF’s game against USF, was the only football player among the finalists.
Milton earned back-to-back American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors. He was 171-of-289 passing for 2,663 yards, 25 touchdowns and six interceptions in 2018.
The other finalists joining Milton and Plummer on stage Tuesday night were Luke Maye (North Carolina basketball), Aleia Hobbs (LSU track and field), Mikaela Foecke (Nebraska volleyball), Townley Haas (Texas swimming), Morgan Hurd (USA Gymnastics) and Rachel Garcia (UCLA softball).
Milton has remained busy since suffering his knee injury against USF.
The quarterback went through multiple surgeries to repair a dislocated knee that could have forced the amputation of his leg if nerve damage wasn’t repaired quickly. Milton is now enduring a grueling rehabilitation process that includes painfully working to break down scar tissue that can build after the injury and surgeries.
Milton has continued to take classes and mentored his teammates during spring football practices, offering feedback during quarterback team meetings and helping four other quarterbacks compete for the right to replace him as the Knights’ starter during the 2019 season.
“I get the itch to practice and whatnot, but I still get the same feelings as if I was still out there,” Milton told the Orlando Sentinel in March. “I wish I was out there practicing, but that’s not in the cards right now, so I have to do the best I can with the hand I’m dealt.
“I’m trying to get these guys ready the best that I can, to help them be better QBs, better leaders, and help us have a successful season.”
He spoke Saturday at the Better Man XV, a faithbased event on the UCF campus that featured a variety of guest speakers. During his segment, Milton was surprised by guest Mazzi Wilkins, the USF defensive back whose tackle led to his knee injury.
Event organizers saw it as an opportunity for forgiveness, but Milton insisted there was nothing to forgive and the injury was simply a part of football.
“It’s come full circle and there’s no ill will there and our fans shouldn’t have any ill will toward Mazzi either,” Milton said.
Milton’s leadership on and off the field was touted as part of his Sullivan Award nomination.
FAU time set: UCF’s first road game of the 2019 season, a showdown against Florida Atlantic on Sept. 7, will kick off at 7 p.m., the school announced Tuesday.
After opening the season at home against FAMU, the Knights make the nearly 200-mile trek south for a nonconference game versus the Owls at FAU Stadium.
Milton combined to score six touchdowns and the defense intercepted FAU quarterback Chris Robison three times as UCF came away with a 56-36 victory last season in front of an announced crowd of 44,257 fans at Spectrum Stadium.
It was the first meeting between the two programs.
UCF enters next season riding a nine-game road winning streak, with the last loss away from home coming against USF on Nov. 26, 2016.