Kendall Milton — resilience in the face of injury sets the stage for exciting next step

Kendall Milton was a four-star, top-100 prospect by any measure during his high school career, and the expectations for his Georgia career with understandably high as a result.

But it wasn’t a storybook collegiate career for the vaunted running back, and no one knows that better than the man himself.

“…Everyone knows what I dealt with at Georgia. There were a lot of moments where I didn’t know if I even wanted to keep playing football because when the injuries start piling up, you get that depressed mind state,” Milton said during interviews at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Friday. “There were always those people who were literally in my corner every time something happened. I’d always call them, and they gave me the words I needed to keep it going. I’d say there would be no Kendall Milton without my support system.”

Teammate and fellow running back Daijun Edwards, who’d been alongside Milton in the running back room for the entirety of their careers in red and black, echoed those sentiments and wondered aloud how things may have been different if the script were different.

“I feel like it messed with him mentally, but as far as the injuries go, it hurt me seeing him hurt,” Edwards said. “He has so much talent. Without those injuries, who knows?”

Despite Milton’s hurdles, the Bulldogs and his support system helped him stay positive and reassure his mindset moving forward.

“I feel like the biggest thing I learned at Georgia was control what you can control. On the situations I dealt with and the path I took, I feel there were a lot of situations I couldn’t control. I was able to stay composed and see the brighter side of things. On the path I took, there were a lot of things that were out of my control,” he said. “My mom taught me that if you dwell on what you can’t control, you’re just going to further throw yourself off the path for the future. I feel like I took that to heart. I learned to not get down in those moments and actually just focus on the things I could control. If I go down, then bet. I can get in the playbook more. If I go down, then bet. I’m going to focus on film. I feel like it’s really benefitted me.”

That focus, drive, and determination finally paid off for Milton, who finished his senior campaign in a fashion that gave a glimpse into what folks had always hoped to see from him in red and black.

It’s something he doesn’t take for granted.

“I feel like having the opportunity to finish the back half of the season healthy, especially with the SEC schedule and top teams in the SEC, was definitely a blessing. If anyone followed Georgia football, they know it’s not necessarily been an easy college career or easy journey. Even in games I did play, I dealt with certain stuff,” Milton said. “To have teammates who had my back like Javon Bullard and Sedrick Van Pran, those guys stayed in my ear every day and let me know they believed in me. I let them know at the end of the Florida State game how much it meant to me because those guys kept me motivated throughout that whole process. It was definitely a blessing to have teammates like that. I have to give all thanks to God to allowing me to have the back half of the year that I had.”

Now, with those injuries hopefully behind him, Milton is ready to deliver even further on his sizable promise with the opportunity that lies in front of him.

“I feel extremely motivated to continue on at the next level. There was a lot left on the table in college football,” he said. “Going into the next level, I feel like my best football is ahead of me. At this point, I’ll be in situations where I can take care of my body at a different level. I really believe that my best football is ahead of me, and a lot of things will be happening at the next level that will make me and my family very proud.”

Kendall Milton finished his career in Athens with 23 touchdowns.