96 days to WCU Football Kickoff - #96 K.J. Milner

Welcome to the eleventh annual Catamount Football "100 days to Football Kickoff Countdown". During the countdown, we'll highlight the player whose number corresponds to that day in the countdown. 

Since the official 2021 Catamount Football roster has not yet been published, we'll use the 2021 Catamount Football Preseason Roster for jersey numbers, until the new roster is posted, at which point we'll switch to the official roster for the remainder of the countdown.

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It's now 96 days until the kickoff of Catamount football on Saturday, September 4th, 2021, against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels, in E.J Whitmire Stadium / Bob Waters Field, Cullowhee, NC.

To help pass those long summer days, and hopefully get the Catamount faithful more excited about the upcoming season, and knowledgeable of the team members, we'll continue the football countdown each day until kickoff day.

Today we'll highlight a defensive end:   

#96 K.J. Milner

POSITION Defensive End 

HEIGHT 6-4 

WEIGHT 260 

CLASS Junior 

HOMETOWN Hinesville, Ga.

HIGH SCHOOL Bradwell Institute

2019 (Sophomore): Started 11 of WCU’s 12 games along the defensive line … Recorded 41 total tackles, eighth on the defense but was the top defensive lineman … Posted 15 solo tackles and four tackles for loss including one sack and was credited for a team-best seven quarterback hurries … Recovered a pair of fumbles … Tallied five tackles at N.C. State (Sept. 7) and six tackle assists against Furman (Oct. 26) … Posted a season-high seven tackles against Samford (Nov. 16), charting three hurries and recovering a fumble.

2018 (Freshman): Played in eight of the team’s 11 seasonal games, making three starts along the defensive line … Missed the final three games of the regular season … Finished with 15 total tackles with five solo stops … Tallied two tackles for loss including one sack … Credited with two quarterback hurries and a pass break-up … Made his collegiate debut in the season-opener against Newberry (Sept. 1) … Recorded his first career tackles at Gardner-Webb (Sept. 14) … Made his first career start at Furman (Sept. 29), posting a career-high five tackles including four solo stops … Matched his career-best with five tackles at Samford (Oct. 6) … Had one tackle in the triple-overtime game at ETSU (Oct. 27), tallying his first career sack ... Named to the 2018-19 Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll.

Prior to Western Carolina: Starting his prep career on junior varsity, played on the varsity roster all four years … Recorded 66 total tackles including 32 solo stops with a sack as a senior, earning him 2-AAAAAA First Team Defense plaudits … Had a fumble recovery and returned an interception for a touchdown … Was selected to the 2018 Blitz Border Bowl and the 2018 “War of the Border” High School All-Star football game … Earned the football “Captain’s Award” … Posted the highest grade point average on the team and saw time at tight end as a sophomore ... High school coach was Ross Couch … Joined the National Honor Society as a junior … Also participated in track & field as a prep, placing third in the shot put, and was a four-year letter winner in varsity boys basketball as a center and power forward.

Personal: Full name is Willie Keith Milner Jr., but goes by K.J. … Is the son of Francesca and Willie Keith Milner Sr. … Was born in Wurzburg, Germany … Has three younger siblings, Andre, Trey, and Xavier … His father owns a music store and his mother is a United States soldier.