There are a ton of question marks surrounding former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston heading into the 2015 NFL draft. Most of these questions have to do with a perception of immaturity stemming from multiple off-field incidents during his days in Tallahassee.
From seemingly minor issues such as stealing crabs legs and yelling obscenities on campus to a more serious sexual assault allegation, Winston’s time at Florida State was plagued with drama.
Now likely to be the top overall pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the upcoming draft, Winston continues to face a ton of scrutiny.
This time it cames from Winston’s lawyer, David Cornwell. Speaking at Villanova’s Moorad Sports Law symposium, the sports attorney had this to say (via the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Zach Berman).
Jameis is ready to be an NFL player on the field. He’s not ready to be an NFL player off the field.
Cornwell went on to say that Winston is “self aware,” which is a sign that the young man understands the gravity of his situation and what further off-field incidents might mean for his career.
Understanding full well that his comments might very well be taken out of context, Cornwell took to Twitter to clarify his previous statements.
https://twitter.com/wmdavidcornwell/status/586540621751529472
There are a lot of layers here. Most prospects are not fully prepared to be an NFL player off the field when they enter the league. They are going from being amateur athletes where a coach buying them a meal is a NCAA rules violation to being handed millions of dollars within the matter of months. That’s a situation that most of us would struggle handling, no matter our age.
And these are just your average NFL draft prospects.
Now enter into the equation a player in Winston who has struggled with public perception over the past couple years, and everything he does will be placed under a microscope moving forward.
As Cornwell indicated, this is the primary reason why the NFL instituted the rookie symposium years back. It helps prospects overcome the initial hurdles that come with them now entering a professional field. How to handle finances, what to do in specific situations, who to avoid in their personal lives etc…
Winston has never been charged or convicted with a serious crime. And most of his off-field incidents can be chalked up to immaturity. In order for the former Heisman winner to make the most of his opportunity in the NFL, he has to take advantage of everything the league will offer him in terms of support—something that doesn’t make him too different from other first-year players.
Photo: USA Today Images