- HubPages»
- Sports and Recreation»
- Team Sports»
- American Football
Jameis Winston and the NFL.
Who is Jameis Winston?
Standing at 6'4, 230 pounds, Jameis Winston looks the part of a big time NFL quarterback.
He's got the athleticism and the arm that you love to see in a young signal-caller, and a case full of trophies to boot.
The 20 year old Winston has already won the Walter Camp award, the Archie Griffin award, the AP Player of the Year award, the coveted Heisman trophy, and a BCS National Championship, and all as a freshman.
At only 19 years old, he threw for 4,000 yards and 40 TDs against some of the best teams in the college football world.
If Tim Tebow and Johnny Manziel were taken in the first round, then this guy should be taken in the top ten... right?
- Everything The Cops Didn't Do In The Jameis Winston Rape Investigation
"I believe that Mr. Winston cannot be convicted," Florida's chief assistant state attorney tells the Times. "I don't necessarily believe that he's innocent."
- Inside the Jameis Winston rape case file - CBS News
Documents reveal conflicting stories about the sexual interaction, and an 11-month lag between the initial report and when police interviewed witnesses
Who is Jameis Winston... off the field?
It's not a secret that not every football player is a role model.
For every Peyton Manning or Russell Wilson, who freely give time and money to those in need, you have a dozen players like Michael Vick or Ray Rice, whose off the field issues speak for themselves.
And while it's not right, it's easy to understand why it happens.
You have these young, impressionable men in an extremely competitive environment, and you give them ridiculous amounts of money and fame.
Some guys are level-headed and manage it well.
And others let it get to their head.
You have all this money, and people want to give you stuff for free.
You can afford to do whatever you want, and people will let you.
While you can't justify what some of these guys do and have done, you can understand why it happens.
Never has there been an example of why this is wrong than with Jameis Winston.
To fully explain, I have to go back to 2012, when the police were called about a young man carrying a gun around campus. When they arrived, they discovered Winston and a teammate on a bike trail, shooting at squirrels with a BB gun.
College freshman being stupid? Sure. A huge red flag? Not really.
Then, in July of 2013, the police were called on Winston again when he and a few friends were illegally filling ketchup cups with soda at a burger king when they hadn't paid for any food.
Okay, another instance where a young guy showed really bad judgement but... Again, nothing bad enough to make you question his character.
And then November came, and with it came allegations of sexual assault that occurred in the December of 2012. Eventually, a lack of evidence had the case thrown out.
And then...
Suddenly...
Evidence began to stack up that maybe the police and campus security didn't do the most thorough job in the investigation.
And by that I mean, his lawyer had the entire thing swept under the rug.
The quote from his lawyer, "We don't need an investigation, thorough or otherwise, to know that Jameis did not sexually assault this young lady." comes to mind.
I'll attach several links on the side explaining this in more depth, because honestly, just mentioning it makes me sick.
True, there isn't any physical evidence, and for all we truly know, we didn't do it.
But come on...
When something like this happens, why not let them investigate?
If you're innocent, why have the accusations squashed?
Now this poor girl, who has not only been harassed by people who claimed she just wanted fame, who just wanted some closure and justice for herself, has to sit idly by and watch somebody who did something terrible to her not only get off free, but receive national admiration and attention.
And did he learn a lesson from any of that?
Did he decide to turn his life around?
No. There was the incident in the spring where he stole crab legs from a grocery store, and another incident in September where he stood up at a pep rally and yelled some extremely offensive things at females in the audience.
In comparison, the recent allegations of selling his autograph seems pretty tame.
Jameis Winston and the NFL.
While I'm sure that all of the controversy surrounding Winston will drastically hurt his draft stock, I fear that not only will he still get drafted, but he may be one of the first 32 players taken.
He'll make enough money to retire comfortably on and may even go on to make millions if he has success.
His face will be plastered on billboards, his jerseys will fly of the shelves, and with the exception of a few well-deserved sports injuries, he'll leave a comfortable life.
I doubt my words carry any weight with anyone, and I know my words will never reach the ears (eyes) of anyone with power but...
For me it seems obvious that they should ban this kid from playing in the National Football League.
To play in the NFL is a privilege, not a right.
The free education he's receiving from FSU is significantly more than the average 20 year old gets, and nobody has ever promised him a spot on an NFL roster.
The NFL is going through a public affairs nightmare right now with Ray Rice, Greg Hardy, and Adrian Peterson, and I doubt the pink jerseys are going to convince anybody that they honestly care about women.
Why not take a stand? Why not be brave and slam the door on Winston like they have with Rice and like they will do with Peterson.
Why not ban Winston from ever setting foot in an NFL training facility?
This kid has only been on the radar for two years, and yet in that time, he's had four encounters with the police. Without even mentioning the pep rally or the autographs, this kid has done so much wrong that the police have had to be brought in four effing times.
I promise you, if Jameis Winston is drafted, and he will be, this behavior will not stop.
You are giving a child a hand grenade if you allow somebody with problems like Winston to have access to millions of dollars and the umbrella that hero worship seems to provide these athletes.