Don’t you just love the man’s maturity and intelligence in front of cameras and the media? For a man who turns 20 on Monday, the same day Florida State faces Auburn in the BCS National Championship Game, Jameis Winston acts much like a middle-aged man.
He’s fought through adversity of a sexual assault case that was dismissed after an investigation. And therefore, he continued to thrive on the field with caring support of Florida State fans throughout the investigation, and guided the Seminoles to the national stage. He is what every football program in America envies and what every coach needs to build a motivated and cohesive team. His achievements on the field and in the classroom embodies the principles of sustainability, and presumably he can handle big moments in big games, judging by his strength to get through any off-field troubles.
There is nothing he would love more than to carry Florida State through to a national title. It’s almost too perfect for someone who has been dreaming about playing for the crystal football trophy, and now it is reality as he’s on the biggest stage of his life, with a chance to lead FSU to its first national crown since 1999. He’s all about winning when it comes to winning, constantly mesmerizing Florida State fans, with his poise and leadership as a gifted quarterback.
He’s still a kid, in his first season out of high school, and this is his first BCS title game. It seems like nothing ever bothers him, no matter what obstacle he faces. There was nothing but kinds words for a man who allegedly raped a female student last year, and since he’s moved on after the allegations, he smiled and spoke eloquently and humbly Friday at his BCS game presser. And so, sure, he’s a goofy college kid, but he knows when it is time to put on the game face. It is true, maybe most obviously, just from listening to him address the media at the podium, that he’s an incredibly mature, smart, humble man who has definitely proven to be first-round talent in the NFL.
The nation’s No. 1 program landed a proven leader, and while FSU coach Jimbo Fisher is developing a closer relationship with his star, Famous Jameis is rising to stardom. The relationship between Fisher and Winston is built on trust and utmost discretion, both giving the program, school, and a community something to smile about. By now America realizes a 19-year-old Heisman winner is deemed an innocent man, and that he’s such a joy to watch as a daredevil’s wire-walk across the Grand Canyon that we are amazed in every way by his ridiculous numbers and talent.
He didn’t just deliver one of the more stupefying narratives in college football, blossoming into the best player in the country and the nation’s top-rated passer. He changed the landscape of Florida State’s football program and led the top-ranked Seminoles to a place they haven’t been in a long time. It has been the kind of journey that only happens in fairy tales, but much of it had to do with the former five-star recruit from Bessemer, Ala. making it look easy in every game.
In case you were keeping tabs, in all the 13 games he started this season, Winston threw for 3,820 yards and 38 touchdowns this season. It’s a tale of a teenage quarterback, and he’s the national story going into Monday night’s game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Winston is becoming one of the biggest names in Florida, at least to those in Tallahassee. He’s a tall, athletic kid, unlike an underachiever who is still figuring out who he is, what he’s capable of doing a lot better. He’s won his games, and he’s been the symbol of Florida State’s season, with his arm strength and a raw bundle of athletic ability.
Through the season, he was dynamic and scary good, mainly because he’s a kid with duel threat capabilities, a smile, size, nifty footwork, and a mind. Turns out, he wants the best of both worlds, but he has a chance to be a star quarterback in the National Football League. If he could be the next Bo Jackson and play both football and baseball professionally, he’d throw pitches from the mound and hurl passes standing in the pocket. The question is whether or not Winston will play Major League Baseball and in the NFL, though he can’t possibly focus on both professional leagues at once. Whatever he chooses, he’s so competitive, he loves playing the game and he wants to be the best. We know him as a football player, not really a baseball star.
It’s the one thing he does brilliantly. It’s not uncommon to see a multi-talented athlete, or someone who tries to play two sports professionally, though it’s a rarity that we witness pro athletes playing two sports. There’s something nice about Winston, and maybe it’s the fact that he can become the next Deion Sanders or Bo Jackson. He plays on the Florida State baseball team — good enough to become a talented reliever for somebody’s major league team.
Remember, Winston broke the school’s single-season touchdown record against state rivals Florida, and surpassed FSU great Chris Weinke. Remember, he went 25 for 27 for 356 yards and four touchdowns in a victory at Pittsburgh on Labor Day night. This is exactly why he’s popular, the way he performed in his outstanding debut. After that, Winston made it clear he was college football’s best player in 2013.
It’s going to be a huge night when Winston takes center stage, with a chance to fly back to Tallahassee with the prize FSU has been playing for all season long. There is still one game left to play, and Winston can lead FSU back to the top in college football.
There’s no doubt in our minds that a crystal football would be the ultimate birthday present for Famous Jameis.
