Jimbo Fisher: Jameis Winston victim of 'character assassination'
Despite Jameis Winston's college career being surrounded by controversy off the field, his former coach Jimbo Fisher has his back.
By
Dave Peters
•
1 min read
Former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston is being touted as the first overall pick in this year's NFL draft. He is leaving behind a two-year collegiate career where he threw for 7,964 yards with 65 touchdowns and 28 interceptions.
After winning the Heisman Trophy in 2013, Winston was not a finalist this past season, as his touchdown numbers dropped while his interceptions increased.
Winston's career was not without off-the-field controversy. He was accused of sexual assault, cited for shoplifting crab legs and suspended for jumping on a campus table and shouting something very inappropriate.
Despite all of the negativity surrounding the signal caller, his former coach Jimbo Fisher is fully supporting him, telling WDAE radio in Tampa, Fla., on Friday that Winston is a victim of "character assassination" via the media.
"Why is there a question?" Fisher said. "Because of the character assassination that he's lived through in the media, and the [misinformation] and half-truths that have been printed. What amazes me about this whole process is the un-professionalism of a lot of major newspapers, and a lot of major outlets that did not report the whole truth of the situation and only slanted it for their own opinion."
Fisher went on to defend Winston's character, saying that NFL teams should not be concerned.
"Jameis has great character," Fisher said. "Did he make mistakes? Yes. Did he make silly mistakes? Yes. I mean, he's still a 20-year-old kid. He and Johnny Manziel are the only two who have ever gone through that pressure of winning a Heisman [as an underclassman]. Plus, he won a national championship. No one had ever done what he had done.
"Some of his mistakes come from wanting to be normal. … He likes being seen as a normal student, and not Jameis Winston. … That got him in trouble by making some poor choices. … It wasn't from malice, but just from a little bit of immaturity. He's still just 20 years old. He'll grow through that."
Only time will tell if Winston can leave his troubled past behind him, and prove Fisher correct in his judgement of the young man's character. It goes without saying that the NFL team that drafts him hopes for just that.
