Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston has been living in the spotlight over the last calendar year as he beat out Jacob Coker for the starting job and led the Seminoles to the BCS National Championship and won the Heisman Trophy, but it hasn’t all been positive for the talented two-sport star as his run-ins with the law have led to many questions about his maturity, morals, ethics and values.
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Winston was issued a shoplifting citation earlier this spring for walking out with $32 worth of crab legs and shellfish at a Tallahassee Publix which resulted in a suspension from the baseball team which begins the 2014 NCAA Tallahassee Regional Friday, May 30 at 6:00 p.m. against Georgia Southern and ordered to complete 20 hours of community service which he did by working as a janitor at a local Y.M.C.A.
However, this all pales in comparison to the rape allegations that dogged him at the end of the 2013 season and into the offseason despite charges not being filed against Winston, public perception was that he should not only be charged with rape that he was presumed to be guilty.
Head football coach Jimbo Fisher may know Winston as well as anyone outside of his family and has remained steadfast in his support of his star quarterback telling Al.com he has made some mistakes in his life, but none that aren’t immune to people his age.
"“I think also people have to realize that Jameis is a young man who’s made some mistakes just like any other kid at that age is going to make them. He has not made any things that cannot be taken care of, just like any other normal student that’s 18 to 22 years old, that can’t be fixed. You grow and mature from every situation that you have.”"
Fisher has a point as college is a time when mistakes are made and boys become men, but only if you learn from your mistakes and you grow and mature and avoid the same pitfalls and decisions that led to the mistakes.
Being caught shoplifting crab legs months after escaping life-altering rape charges would not appear to show that Winston has learned from the past and is growing and maturing as Fisher would hope.
He is not yet 21 years old and I believe some of those criticizing Winston forget the regrettable things they did during their years in college, but Fisher doesn’t pay much attention to the noise outside of the program and insists Winston is a great person.
“Jameis is a tremendous person. He’s a tremendous people person. When you’re around him, you get his magnetic personality. He loves people. He loves fans. He’s great with kids. He’s a tremendous human being.”
Youthful ignorance is one thing that can be excused to a point, but the challenge for Winston moving forward is proving that he has matured and won’t make the foolish mistakes that have plagued him and put serious questions about his character.
If he can prove he’s beyond that, he could have himself a second national championship, get invited to the Heisman again and be a top pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Are you betting on Winston staying out of trouble?