Jameis Winston believes people ‘dehumanize’ him

By Ethan Finkelstein | Apr 14, 2015

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 /

Former Heisman Trophy Award winner and projected number one overall pick Jameis Winston believes that people have “dehumanized” him leading up to the draft.

Jameis Winston has had quite an up and down ride over the last two years. In August of 2013, he was a simple freshman quarterback enrolling at Florida State University. By December, he was the biggest headline in all of sports. A Heisman Trophy Award winner, with the final BCS championship to eventually come his way.

Several off-the-field incidents have kept him from being universally loved, and more along the lines of polarizing. At times, the term “pariah” even entered the fray.

Sure enough, Winston would like nothing more than to dispel all of the negative connotations attached to his person ahead of the NFL Draft, where he is projected to be the number one overall selection, courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Winston recently sat down with ESPN for an interview. He claims that the public has a perception of him that is misleading. Though he himself has contributed to that notion, the man would like nothing more than to move on.

"“So many people try to dehumanize me,” he says. “They say, ‘Off-field issues.’ They say, ‘The sexual allegation stuff.’ People view me as a convict, and I didn’t even do nothing. People say, ‘How does he play like this and all this stuff going on?’ Like by me playing well during that adversity, that made people think about me worse, thinking I’m a sociopath.”"

Though the allegations never lead to an actual charge, they remain a stain on Winston’s record thus far. What has not helped the negative notions regarding his demeanor, are the childish decisions made in the past. These scenarios appeared to be completely avoidable.

By no means will we try to make excuses. Winston’s shortcomings in judgment cannot be ignored altogether. However, one could argue that such transgressions could have been exacerbated due to the quarterback’s tremendous clout on campus, as well as throughout the city of Tallahassee.

If nothing else, it would appear that Winston is starting to own up to his mistakes. Regarding an incident last year where an obscenity cost him a full regular season game, the 21 year old made it clear where he stands at this time.

"“I was with my friends,” he says. “I was quoting — it was a meme. Like it’s just something people say, and me being, wanting the attention, I burst it out. I got a bunch of laughs. You know, that’s childish, but I did it. I’m going to own that. That was stupid.”"

Childish; a label Winston so desperately wants to shed. Based upon conversations with NFL scouts and owners, it would seem as though the maturation process has really started.

One person that will always go to bat for the kid; his former head coach.

"“I think I know him, but I think there’s a part of everyone that no one knows,” says FSU coach Jimbo Fisher, who during the height of tension over the rape accusation remained a steadfast defender. “But I’m gonna say this: I trust him. He has an ability with people to put them at ease.”"

H/T ESPN

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