Former Florida State Seminole and potential first overall pick Jameis Winston recently appeared on ESPN’s Draft Academy with former San Francisco 49ers head coach and current Michigan Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh.
It’s an interesting episode, with Harbaugh offering sage advice as someone who has been through the draft on both sides of the coin, and Winston once again appearing like a knucklehead with more red flags attached to his name than he can count.
Harbaugh’s explanation of pre-draft player interviews is simple: “Is this guy an <expletive> or not?”
He then grills Winston about disciplinary issues he faced in both high school and college, and Winston comes forward with one high school incident and his suspension from a Florida State game earlier this year.
When asked about run-ins with law enforcement, Winston merely mentions an incident with a BB gun.
I’m sorry, but the fact that Michigan quarterback coach Jedd Fisch needs to remind Winston about the time he shoplifted crab legs is testament to the young man’s character issues, and the fact that Fisch calls this the “elephant in the room” and doesn’t even mention a certain incident or pending lawsuit is absolutely disgusting.
Look, I’m willing to give Winston the benefit of the doubt regarding his past, as he is incredibly talented and I actually want him to succeed in the NFL.
But the fact that Harbaugh tells him to address his past in interviews just by saying “I <expletive> up” is not enough.
While he may have been cleared of any wrong doing in his sexual assault case, his behavior apart from that shows that he has a lot of growing up to do, as does his visit to Draft Academy.
Can’t get enough of Campus Sports? Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to stay updated with the latest news and exclusive giveaways!
*Featured Photo (above) credit to Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
