‘An Unbelievable Story’: How McKenzie Milton’s Comeback Can Help Former Coach Josh Heupel at Tennessee
On November 23, 2018, Josh Heupel had a front-row seat for the first chapter of one of the greatest comeback stories in college football history.
At the time, though, this football dream resembled something closer to a nightmare.
On a routine play against South Florida, UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton — then a Heisman contender and longtime starter under Heupel — suffered a Joe Theisman-esque injury that almost cost him his right leg.
As Heupel knelt over his quarterback that day, many wondered if Milton would ever take another snap at Central Florida.
He did — but only in practice, as Dillon Gabriel had assumed the top role by the time Milton returned from a lengthy, painful rehabilitation process.
So, with his eyes fixed toward a new challenge, Milton set out for Florida State.
And that brings us to Sunday night’s opener between the Seminoles and No. 9 Notre Dame.
Late in the second half, FSU starter Jordan Travis lost his helmet, paving the way for Milton to enter a college football game for the first time since his 2018 injury.
The moment was celebrated across social media, and for good reason. Milton’s first snap for the Seminoles marked the climax of a three-year odyssey, which turned into one of the most gritty, heartwarming comeback stories of the entire college football season.
“Unbelievable story,” said Heupel, who’s now in his first season at Tennessee. “Only him. Only he can do what he’s done over the last three years — coming back from, you know, the early hours of that injury, just hoping that he was gonna be able to keep his leg, to, you know, two-and-a-half, three-year rehab process to get back. It started with just wanting to be able to have a normal, functioning leg and have a normal life, to now becoming a guy that can go play.”
And play, Milton did.
Despite adjusting to a new stadium and new home in Tallahassee, the former UCF gunslinger picked up right where he left off in Orlando. He was a perfect 4-for-4 on his first drive, which culminated in a touchdown.
After Florida State coach Mike Norvell elected to stay with Milton (5-of-7 for 48 yards), FSU’s new No. 10 engineered a game-tying drive to force overtime against Brian Kelly and the Irish.
Travis welcomed Milton back to the sideline with open arms, and ESPN’s cameras panned to Milton’s cheering section several times in the game while weaving his comeback story into the broadcast.
“That makes me so happy,” Travis told media afterward. “I couldn’t get a smile off my face. Just seeing him run onto the field gave me chills. I’m so happy to see him on the field. I’m so blessed to have him on my team.”
Except for the Irish playing spoiler in overtime, the entire sequence was straight out of a Hollywood movie script.
The only bad part? Heupel didn’t see it at first.
“I got home and turned the ball game on late in the third, and went to bed early in the fourth,” he said Monday.
Heupel, as mentioned, is in the middle of his first season with the Vols, which take on Pitt this Saturday in the Johnny Majors Classic. So it’s understandable that he’d choose sleep over a game with two programs Tennessee rarely faces.
But that doesn’t mean he didn’t hear about Milton’s heroics.
When Heupel awoke from his slumber — almost three years removed from the day Milton’s career all but ended — he was greeted by a “barrage” of text messages.
Only then did Tennessee’s coach go digging for highlights, where he discovered the magic of a story so rare, even a Mayo Clinic doctor hadn’t heard of it before Sunday.
“You could see last night, he’s back to doing the things he’s able to do,” Heupel said Monday. “Man, he’s special between the white lines. He’s got great command, great presence and has unbelievable playmaking ability. You guys saw that last night. Special. Unbelievable to be able to see and to watch.”
After Sunday’s game, Milton gave credit where it’s due.
“God is real,” he said. “Nobody has ever come back from an injury like this. It’s the answer of prayer. Thousands of people praying for me. Coaches believing in me. I’m not here with out all the prayers and people believing in me.”
One of those believers is Josh Heupel, who faces a tall task in the attempted turnaround of this Tennessee football program.
For Heupel, Saturday’s 38-6 win over Bowling Green was the first step in a long, rocky road back to relevance.
NCAA investigations, recruiting struggles, depth issues and consistently heavy expectations are just the tip of the iceberg for the challenge Heupel faces in his climb on Rocky Top.
But if there’s one lesson Tennessee’s coach can take from his former quarterback, it’s that no comeback is impossible — even if it takes more time, patience and faith than some might expect.
Milton proved as much on Sunday, and college football is better for it.
If Heupel applies that same resiliency, then Tennessee could be better for it, too.
Cover photo from Kim Klement, USA Today Sports
