Open Letter to Jameis Winston
Dear Jameis,
Everyone in the Seminole Nation, well, the Florida State University Seminole Nation, knows about all of the “other” incidents that have brought the bright spotlight of scrutiny upon you before. In fact, most people in America know about them as well.
But, those events, along with the latest, do inform my words and what they reveal are symptoms. All of the incidents are symptoms and it is important for you to get a handle on the root cause of the problem that brings these symptoms out.
Whether it is the sleeping around that placed you in a situation where you were accused of rape (that can happen when folks have sex with people who are not their spouse), “goofing around” at a local Burger King and swiping soft drinks because you are who you are (you know, the quarterback of the Seminoles), becoming absent minded about where you are shopping for crab and walking out of the store without paying, or the latest event, standing on a table and screaming a sexually explicit and profane expression (ostensibly because it is a “funny” meme and part of a video that has gone viral)...you need to understand what it is that brings this reckless behavior out of you.
It's you.
It's not your upbringing. It is not the pressure of being a Heisman Trophy winner and the focus of the media and fans.
It's you.
How do I know when I have only met you a couple of times? Because of what you said repeatedly in the last year. You said it in the wake of being cleared of rape by the State Attorney's office. You said it in an interview with ESPN. You said it on Media Day at Florida State in August. You said it, “I'm still gonna be me”. You made that statement, or words just like them over and over, and that, young man, is the problem.
You also just stated that you and your teammates overcome “adversity”. This may sound harsh, but right now Jameis...you are the adversity.
It's you. It's time to get to work on you. It's the best investment you'll ever make.
We are all works in progress, to be sure. We all make mistakes. But, the person marked with success learns from their mistakes. I think most of us would say that we seldom learn in the good times, but only in the bad. My hunch is that you have never really been punished and now, at this stage of your life, I hold Florida State University responsible. The school and the football program holds the ultimate lever. Playing time...one of the single greatest motivators ever.
One half of football is not what I think is needed, but you can prove me (and a whole lot of others) wrong. You have developed a bad pattern and I believe something more substantial needs to happen to get your attention. But, again...you can prove me wrong.
Some have said that sitting you for a whole football game, especially an important one, is unfair to your teammates. Some have even said it is unfair to the fans. Jameis, I submit it is just the opposite. What is unfair is treating the leader of the team different than the team? What is unfair is teaching the lesson that football is more important than character. The fact is, you are part of a team and the actions of any one player impact the rest. Certainly, some more than others, but the point remains.
The greatest love that can be shown is the love of discipline. When Randy Moss was on the FSU campus, and playing for Coach Bobby Bowden, he came here with strikes against him. He was one of the most talented athletes in the history of college football. But, there was an agreement with Coach Bowden. No mistakes. Not one.
History tells us the rest. Moss flunked a drug test and was gone. Bowden could have won another national title with Moss, he was that good. But instead, he loved Randy Moss and sent him out the door. It saved Moss' career. He went on to star at Marshall and the NFL. I am convinced that discipline saved Randy Moss, but Randy Moss also learned. Will you, finally, learn?
I am pulling for you Jameis, you are an engaging, talented young man. But, you've already cost yourself millions (yes, character seems to be a pretty big deal in the NFL these days, don't you think?), but you can do it. You are not a kid anymore, you are a young man...well a young male. I think us guys are male by birth, man by choice.
Time to make a choice.
