Early departure for Winston means the end of a short but successful reign at the top for the Seminoles
The college football circuit has received some huge and unexpected news. After his team got manhandled by Oregon in the Rose Bowl, Jameis Winston decided to declare himself for the 2015 NFL Draft. Initially Winston’s father told the media that his son will make his decision after the upcoming National Championship Game; but, once Jameis received information from draft experts predicting that he will be an early 1st round draft pick, Winston decided to jump the gun and declare himself for the draft. Famous Jameis has had a sensational collegiate career thus far, accomplishing numerous of accolades while facing slew of media scrutiny. At the young age of 19, Winston did the unthinkable and placed himself amongst the immortals of college football. In 2014, he became the second freshman ever to win the prestigious Heisman trophy. In addition, the Alabama native led his team to a undefeated season which resulted in a stellar performance in the final BCS National Championship game. On his 20th birthday, Jameis threw for 235 yards and 2 touchdowns en route to defeat the Auburn Tigers, 34-31.
Winston was able to repeat the excellent play on the field in his 2014-2015 campaign. Despite media scrutiny such as the off campus rape allegations resurfacing, being caught shoplifting crab legs and getting suspended early in the season for reciting vulgar comments, the Alabama native continue to prove his critics wrong thanks to his outstanding play on the field. Throwing for 3,907 yards and 25 touchdowns for the season, Jameis led his team to a 13-0 finish heading into the last weekend of the college football season. His unprecedented streak ended when recent Heisman trophy winner Marcus Mariota led his team to a 69-20 victory, ending Winston and the Seminole’s 27 game winning streak.
After coach Jimbo Fisher found out about the sudden news, he gave Jameis such huge praise and wish the future superstar nothing but luck by saying this.
He’s one of the unique players that I’ve ever had the privilege to coach. He embodies what you as a coach want as a person, a student and a player. He’s a genuine and honest guy. He’s one of the greatest players in Florida State history. I want to thank him for the way he represented himself and the organization in so many tough situations and the professionalism in which he handled the ability to be such a great teammate to his teammates and always put them and the program above himself. That’s a very unique ability to be able to do especially at his age.
Despite early signs of draft stock dropping due to maturity intangibles, ESPN NFL Draft Insider Mel Kiper Jr. has rated Winston the 2nd best quarterback behind reigning Heisman winner Marcus Mariota in this year draft class. In addition, he placed Jameis going 6th overall on his latest NFL Draft big board. With the New York Jets having the 6th overall pick, this could be a huge blessing for gang green as they head into revamping mode after firing coach Rex Ryan and general manager John Izdik. With the fans running out of patience for quarterback Geno Smith‘s mediocre performance on the gridiron, don’t be surprise the Jets take a risk by choosing Winston as they desperately need a fresh look for a struggling offense. As Winston upgrades himself to the big stage, it’s safe to say that Winston’s brief 2 year stint at Florida State was one for the ages. Winston is proving to all of his haters that he can win on the field while handling heat the media has thrown at him off the field.
-Omari White (@SmooveGuyO)
