Winston enjoys Manning Camp, eager to grow

By now, there’s no doubting the sheer talent and athletic ability of Florida State quarterback and reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston.

The Hueytown, Ala., native took home college football’s most prestigious individual award as a freshman last season, throwing for over 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in 14 games.

Winston and Florida State rolled through the ACC during the regular season, winning 13 games by an average of almost 40 points per contest. Winston then capped off one of the most productive freshman campaigns in NCAA history by rallying his team to a 34-31 come-from-behind victory over Auburn in the 2014 Citi BCS National Championship Game at the Rose Bowl, snapping the SEC’s string of seven straight BCS titles and giving Florida State its first National Championship in almost 15 years.

With Winston returning for the Seminoles in 2014 and another stellar recruiting class by head coach Jimbo Fisher in tow, Florida State will be picked by many to repeat as National Champions this coming year. If nothing else, they should enter the season as the pre-season No. 1 in most major polls.

With so much going right for Florida State and its star quarterback at the moment, Winston is understandably excited as he heads into his sophomore season.

Winston was on hand at last week’s Manning Passing Academy at Nicholls State and said he expects big things from himself and his team again this year.

“We’ve got some good young guys that are coming in and are going to fill some big spots,” Winston said. “We’re looking forward to the season. We’ve got a lot of new young guys, from freshmen to sophomores. They’re ready and we’re working with them right now doing our 7-on-7’s. Our running backs are looking good, we’ve got (most of) our offensive line back, and we’ve got some (other) guys that are going to settle right in.”

True, Florida State enters the season with no glaring weaknesses on either side of the ball, and there’s no conceivable reason for the Seminoles to be worried, per se.

But for Winston, with so many accomplishments already under his belt as a freshman, the inevitable questions regarding pressure rears its head this time of year: the pressure to repeat as ACC and national champs, to duplicate the performance from his sensational freshman season, and perhaps even to help turn Florida State into college football’s next dynasty.

Winston, known almost as much for the swagger he exhibits on the field and in front of cameras as for his style of play it seems, confidently and without hesitance says there is no pressure.

“You’ve got a team like Florida State playing with you, so there’s no pressure at all,” he boasts. “You just have to do what Coach Fisher tells you to do and you know your team is going to go out and do their job.”

While Winston’s confidence – some would say arrogance – has become well known, so too have questions about his character and behavior, which were called into question last year when the Seminoles’ star became the centerpiece of a police investigation regarding allegations that he had sexually assaulted a woman in the winter of 2012.

The State’s Attorney’s Office finished an investigation and announced that no charges would be filed against anyone in the case. That wasn’t enough to satisfy Winston’s critics, including his accuser in the assault case, who claimed she had been advised by local police to drop the charges.

Many skeptics took that claim as evidence of some sort of cover-up by Tallahassee Police in order to maintain Winston’s eligibility, as university policy states that any student-athlete charged with a felony is barred from playing until his or her case has been resolved.

Earlier this summer, Winston also made headlines off-the-field when he was caught shoplifting crab legs from a Tallahassee Publix store. That came only a few months after an Associated Press report stated that Winston had been involved in two other minor incidents: stealing soda at a local Burger King, and being part of an apparent game of BB gun tag that ended with several broken windows at an apartment complex near Florida State’s campus.

One may not have to go far to read something unflattering about Winston, but one person who doesn’t seem fazed by the criticism– at least as far as Winston’s attitude and perceived arrogance is concerned – is Manning Passing Academy founder Archie Manning.

Winston, it seems, has a fan in the former New Orleans Saints and Ole Miss quarterback, whose voice and opinions are about as respected as they come.

“There’s a lot of pressure on all these kids, but Jameis is really a great kid,” said Manning. “He’s got a good personality and yes, he’s confident. He’s been through a lot and he’ll go through more. It’s a good thing for Jameis that he plays for a really good coaching staff and that’s he’s got good teammates.”

For now, any of Winston’s past transgressions are just that: in the past.

As for the present, Winston says his only focus is on becoming a better player and leader.

“There’s no pressure at all, but one thing I’ve learned is the leadership that comes with this,” he said. “You’ve got to be a leader on the field and off it and that’s one thing my team looks at me more now, because of all those accolades that I have now.

“This year,” Winston added, “is going to be one to remember.”

Winston and Florida State are scheduled to open the season August 30 against Oklahoma State in a nationally televised game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Florida State Heisman Trophy winner and National Champion quarterback Jameis Winston fires a pass during a game last season. The dominant Seminoles quarterback said he is ready to build on last season’s title-winning season. Winston is just a sophomore.

AP FILE PHOTO