Tuesday; May 12

McKenzie Milton was on a track to stardom.  The kid from Hawaii had come to the University Of Central Florida and helped changed a football culture.  He was an incredible athlete and a capable leader who took the Golden Knights on an improbable run – then it happened.  On one play, his hope for a national championship and the possibility of ever playing again came to an instant halt.  Not only did his injury put his career in jeopardy, it brought with it some doubts about quality of life issues such as his ability to walk normally.  Over the last year and a half McKenzie has been working his way back to the playing field to the point that he is at least having a conversation about playing again.  While this is a feel-good story, there is a parallel storyline as well.  You see, while Milton has been working hard, so have his coaches Scott Frost and Josh Heupel who have recruited some quality quarterbacks.  Now there are a handful of guys vying to be UCF’s number one quarterback in 2020.  How does the once king of the hill react to it?  The temptation might be to be selfish, but in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel he showed his maturity by saying, “We’re all competing for that job with me, Dillon, DJ [Darriel Mack Jr.], Quadry [Jones] and Parker Navarro, who’s coming in as a freshman. But at the same time, whoever is at the helm, we’re all going to support each other like I did last year.”.  Folks, that is leadership!  I am rooting for McKenzie to return to football and be a successful quarterback, but if he doesn’t I am hoping he won’t lose his insight and capacity to lead others.  It appears that he realizes that his success isn’t dependent on someone else’s failure.  Even if he isn’t the one guiding the team on the field, I feel confident his leadership will be felt on the sidelines.
The other day I came across another quote, “Supporting another’s success won’t ever dampen yours.”  I wish I knew who came up with that gem because I would like to acknowledge their insight.  True success isn’t about someone winning and someone else losing – it is about working together so all of us can become the best we can be!   
         Think About It!

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