INDIANAPOLIS - Kendall Milton gets asked the question all the time. How does he think his Georgia career went?
It looks pretty good on paper. Over four years Milton carried the ball 297 times for 1,839 yards and 23 touchdowns. Those are solid numbers for a back in a Georgia offense that rotates players in and out.
But Milton knows his injury-plagued career could have been much more.
"For me, I feel like there was a lot left on the table in terms of what I know that I bring to the table and what I know fully healthy Kendall Milton would have had on that field," Milton said.
Injuries were a constant throughout Milton's career. At times, he said he felt unsure if he wanted to continue playing football.
The Californian took every preventive measure he could. Milton lived in the training room and invested in rehab equipment such as electric foam rollers and foot massagers to keep at home. He did yoga on the floor in front of the TV.
Through it all, Milton had the support of his family and teammates such as Sedrick Van Pran and Javon Bullard. His mother in particular taught him a valuable lesson.
"If you dwell on what you can’t control, then you’re just going to further throw yourself off path in the future. I feel like I took that to heart," Milton said. "When I learned to not get down in those moments, to actually just focus on things I can control. Say if I go down, bet, I can get in the playbook more. If I go down, bet, I’m going to focus on film."
In a rewarding twist of fate, Milton played his best football in the final few games of his Georgia career. Over Georgia's last five games, he rushed for 495 yards and nine touchdowns on 63 carries. He scored at least one touchdown in Georgia's final nine games of 2023.
When his career wrapped after the Orange Bowl win over Florida State, Milton made sure to thank his teammates.
"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," Milton said. "It was definitely a blessing to have teammates like that. I’ve got to give all the thanks to God for allowing me to have the back end of the year that I had."
Now Milton is living a "dream come true" at the Combine. He said he had a surreal moment of realization recently while training with Florida State receiver Keon Coleman.
With his vision on the future, Milton feels the best is yet to come.
"I feel like going into the next step, I feel like my best football is ahead of me," Milton said. "At this point, I’m going to 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. A lot of things will be happening at the next level that will make me very proud and make my family very proud. "
