FSU QB transfer McKenzie Milton: 'I feel great, I feel ready to go'
It's been a long and winding road for McKenzie Milton since sustaining a devastating leg injury late in the 2018 season.
On Friday, he met with the Tallahassee media for the first time since transferring to Florida State, and the newest Seminole quarterback said while he might not be back to 100 percent just yet, he's getting mighty close.
"I'd say I'm about 90 percent," Milton said on a Zoom call. "I'm still pushing to get to 100. I feel like playing football you're never truly at 100 percent anyway. ... The range of motion is close, it's not quite there, but it's functional. It's where it needs to be to play. I'm fully cleared in that aspect.
"But I want to keep pushing it to where I'm completely comfortable out there and just being able to do the things that I want to do on a football field."
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When he's healthy, Milton obviously can do quite a lot.
He's thrown for more than 8,000 yards in his college career, he's rushed for over 1,000, and he's accounted for 92 total touchdowns. He also won his last 23 starts in a row while at the University of Central Florida.
Now, here in January of 2021, well over two years since that horrific injury, he says he's almost back to where he needs to be.
*ALSO SEE: Complete breakdown of Friday's interviews with Milton and DE transfer Jermaine Johnson
It obviously hasn't been the easiest rehab. He said one year ago at this time, he couldn't run or jump.
"Six months ago, I probably had just started run training" Milton said. "And three months ago, I was full practicing (at UCF), and running scout team and stuff like that, feeling really good and just getting better each day. Literally, each day I felt better and better out there. I felt more comfortable running, jumping, cutting, sprinting.
"And just getting more live bullets of seeing defenses, anticipating throws. So personally, I feel like there's nothing I can't do on a football field. ... But I know I still have eight more months to continue to strengthen everything in my body."
Milton said he would be flying up to Minnesota soon for one "final check-up" with his doctor, but he expects to be a full participant when spring practice starts for the Seminoles.
As much as he's looking forward to being even stronger eight months from now when the Seminoles open the 2021 season against Notre Dame, Milton said he is confident he could play a game right now if need be.
"I feel great, I feel ready to go," Milton said. "If we had to play this weekend, I feel like I could go. I just know come September 5th, when we play against Notre Dame, I'll be feeling even better.
"So, I'm super excited about it."
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