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I am not a fan of Jameis Winston. It has nothing to do with his on-the-field ability. He’s an outstanding college player who has a chance to be an excellent quarterback at the NFL level, but I can’t deal with his antics. His immaturity irks me, and I still am not convinced he should have been cleared in the sexual assault allegation. I certainly do not trust the farcical investigations that the Florida State campus police and Tallahassee Police Department conducted.
Winston’s time at FSU was turbulent to say the least. The highs and lows were extreme in both directions. Earlier this week, legendary coach Bobby Bowden decided to chime in on Winston’s time at Florida State, and he didn’t pull any punches, saying “I think it’s a consensus among Florida State fans and boosters that he was an embarrassment in a lot of way to the university.”
Wow. When Bobby Bowden talks, everyone listens. Why Bowden decided to lay into Winston now that he’s no longer affiliated with the university is anyone’s guess, but before he did, maybe Bowden should have looked in the mirror.
No, Bowden was not an embarrassment, but the football program that he ran was. Did Bowden forget his program was constantly under scrutiny for the behavior of his players? Quarterback Chris Rix forged handicap stickers to help get around campus. Cameron Wade was suspended for his participation in an on-campus brawl. It gets worse from there.
Peter Warrick and Laveranues Coles were suspended from the team in 1999 after they were arrested for grand theft after being allowed to underpay for clothes at a Dillard’s department store in Tallahassee. Warrick pled down to petty theft and was picking up garbage on the side of the highway just five days after being selected by the Cincinnati Bengals.
The length of the arrest list of Bowden’s players rivals a James Michener novel: David Warren for battery, Tay Cody for drug possession, Lamont Green for grand theft, Derrick Gibson for solicitation, Sebastian Janikowski for bribery, Talman Gardner for a concealed weapon, Darnell Dockett for felony grand theft, Sean Key for aggravated battery, Julian Pittman for burglary, Adrian McPherson for felony check fraud, Travis Johnson for sexual assault, and does anyone remember former defensive lineman Byrne Malone? No big deal, he was only arrested for attempted murder.
That’s not even the whole picture. It’s just a sample of football player arrests that took place in Tallahassee on Bowden’s watch. With all those skeletons, how is Bowden going to sit on his throne and cast stones at Winston? That does not sit right with me, nor should it sit right with anyone. Bowden is an all-time great coach and is rightly considered a college football legend, but for him to call Winston an embarrassment is quite hypocritical.
If Bowden wants to talk football, I will always listen; but if he is offering up judgments on character, I’ll pass.
Bill Zimmerman is a featured NFL writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
