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Top NFL Draft prospect Jameis Winston not ready to give up potential MLB career?

By Patrick Schmidt

Feb 21, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston throws a pass during the 2015 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 21, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston throws a pass during the 2015 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jameis Winston may be the No. 1 pick in the 2015 NFL Draft but he’s not quite ready to give up his dream of playing in the MLB.

Florida State quarterback and 2013 Heisman Trophy winner, Jameis Winston has positioned himself to be the first overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft after two seasons as the Seminoles’ starting quarterback.

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Despite his future career as a starting quarterback in the NFL where he’s already planning on playing in the Super Bowl as a rookie, Winston is not ready to abandon his dream of playing professional baseball, according to Peter King of the MMQB.com.

When asked by King about the possibility of pursuing a career in the MLB, Winston spoke in the same vague way we often hear from the likes of Bill Belichick and other head football coaches who address questions without fully answering them.

“Right now I am focusing on football,” Winston told King. “This is the first offseason I’ve ever had where I can focus totally on football.  I am loving this, being a quarterback every day. . . .  Anything that keeps me busy helps me.  I love baseball.  I love football.  Playing both was the best of both worlds.”

Winston starred in the bullpen for the Seminoles baseball team last year with a 1.08 E.R.A. and limiting batters to a paltry .154 batting average as the team’s closer. Armed with a fastball that sits in the low-to-mid 90s, Winston has the type of arm talent that would tantalize MLB front offices just as it does for the NFL.

We have seen some elite athletes pull off careers in the NFL and MLB, notably, Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders and Brian Jordan, but none of them have been quarterbacks who are the most important part of an NFL roster and whose health is vital to winning.

Not to mention, the millions upon millions of dollars that would be invested in Winston, playing both would seem like a pipe dream and not a legit possibility, but is Winston ready to abandon his dream of playing both sports professionally?

“I can’t speak on that,” Winston said.  “It always has been my dream, but I’m just playing football right now.”

The “right now” stands out to me, because he’s not shutting the door on the possibility. He was drafted in the 15th round by the Texas Rangers as an outfielder in 2012 and in 2013 was called a potential first-round pick in both football and baseball by University of Miami baseball coach Jim Morris.

His best chance of stardom undoubtedly comes in the NFL, but his best chance of a long and healthy career could come in MLB where he wouldn’t be subject to 300-pound defensive linemen trying to rip his head off.

Do you think Winston can pull off double-duty or do you think he should give up his dream of playing baseball and devote all of his efforts and energy to being the best quarterback he can be?

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