Looking back, UCF QB McKenzie Milton’s comments on whether Tua Tagovailoa should play were eerily foreshadowing
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa suffered a painful hip injury on Saturday afternoon and will miss the rest of the season. Now, the question becomes about whether Tagovailoa should return to college next year or head to the 2020 NFL Draft, where he could be a top-5 pick.
Someone who has experience dealing with serious injury is UCF QB McKenzie Milton, who is still rehabbing a scary leg injury suffered last year.
Before the Mississippi State game even kicked off, Milton made some eerily foreshadowing comments. Asked about whether Tua should sit out or play the rest of the season, Milton said it was an easy choice.
Here’s what he said about Tua’s toughness and strength and whether he should play against Mississippi State (Note: Tua hadn’t been injured again when Milton spoke):
In light of this latest Tua Tagovailoa injury story …
On Thursday, McKenzie Milton was asked if he thought Tua should heal up and start preparing for the draft.
Part of Milton's answer: "If I were him, I'd play. 100 percent. You never know when your last snap is going to be." pic.twitter.com/Xw72rtYrhE— Brian Murphy (@Spokes_Murphy) November 16, 2019
“Just knowing Tua, I know he wants to play,” Milton said. “He’s one of the toughest persons I’ve been around growing up. … If I were him, I’d play, 100%. You never know when your last snap is going to be.”
Him saying “you never know when your last snap is going to be” is just eerie.
Obviously, hindsight is 20/20 and it’s now clear Tua shouldn’t have played. However, in the moment, it’s tough to tell a competitor he can’t suit up.
Milton has experience with this, and now the two natives of Hawai’i face interesting futures. Will Tua follow in his footsteps and return to college, or will he head to the NFL Draft?
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
