Kendall Milton: 'I've been fighting tears all week before the game, fighting tears after the game'

Kendall Milton is different. After winning back-to-back national championships, Georgia was excluded from the College Football Playoff this season and forced to play for a consolation prize against Florida State.

At other programs, fans would have witnessed mass opt-outs. Players heading to the NFL wouldn’t dare risk injury for an inconsequential game. However, Milton saw the situation in a different light. He wasn’t alone in his beliefs.

“I would have receivers, the offensive linemen, the defensive linemen coming up to us saying we’re going to send you out the right way, and that showed in practice, how hard we all practice,” Milton said. “You would’ve thought it was a scrimmage the way we were practicing, you know what I mean.

“Everybody really took it to heart, and I’m just blessed to be with a group of guys like that. I been fighting tears all week, before the game fighting tears, after the game fighting tears because this team is a family. Some people just say it, but this team is a real brotherhood. It really shows day in and day out, and I couldn’t ask for a greater team to be a part of.”

Milton did more than suit up, he dominated. The Fresno, Calif. native carried it nine times for 104 yards and two touchdowns, all coming in the first half of Georgia’s record-setting 63-3 victory. With the performance, Milton scored a touchdown in the final nine games of his career.

Milton tallied a career-high 790 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns this season while picking up 6.5 yards a carry. In four years with the Bulldogs, Milton amassed 1,839 yards in the ground game and 23 TDs.

Kirby Smart opens up about Kendall Milton

Milton’s unwavering dedication the program didn’t go unnoticed. As the final seconds ticked off the clock on Saturday, head coach Kirby Smart and Milton embraced. After the game, Smart praised Milton for his time at Georgia.

“Kendall has meant a lot to this program,” Smart told reporters. “He’s given so much. He’s been through a lot. He said that. I still remember going all the way to California, being in his house, seeing him and his parents, and he’s sacrificed a ton to make this program a better place, and he’s worked his tail off. So I thank you Kendall publicly for what (he’s) done.”

Milton returned the love.

“Coach Smart told me how proud he was of me I stuck it out, I ended up making it to the end, I achieved success. I basically told him thank you for believing in me, because at the end of the day that’s all you can ask for, your coach to believe in you, your teammates to believe in you,” Milton said.