You can tell a lot about a company by the employees it recruits. So, when the NFL, specifically the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, drafted Jameis Winston it got me thinking about the message it sends.
Winston was this season’s number one draft pick. As a freshman at Florida State, he became the youngest player to win the Heisman Trophy. In his final year at FSU, he helped lead the Seminoles to a victory in the 2014 BCS National Championship. Those are impressive credentials. But they ignore Winston’s controversial off-the-field incidents that cast him in a much different light.
In December 2012, a fellow Florida State University student accused Winton of rape. No criminal charges were filed. In a separate case in the fall of 2014, he was suspended for half of a game after he stood on a table in the middle of campus and yelled derogatory obscene lyrics towards women.
In April of 2014, Winston was accused of stealing about $33.00 worth of crab legs from a Tallahassee supermarket. He was given a civil citation that allows him to perform community service and is suspended from the FSU baseball team until he completes that work. Winston initially told police he “forgot” to pay for the crab legs and publicly apologized. Those issues complicated the draft process for Winston, underscoring how important is it for him to project himself in the best light. But he didn’t take the cue.
When given an opportunity to explain what happened with the crab legs, Winston offered up the following explanation. He says got “a hook up” from a Publix grocery store employee. In fact, he admitted to walking out of the store without paying on more than one occasion. He never apologized or admitted that his actions were in violation of NCAA rules. Regulations forbid athletes from accepting gifts. Even if he was offered something free, it was his responsibility to say no and position himself appropriately. Adding insult to injury, hours after being selected by the Buccaneers, Winston posted an Instagram photo of himself posing in front of a serving of crab legs. Making a joke out of his offense was really the height of arrogance on Winston’s part, I thought.
In a recent documentary about the NFL draft, the young quarterback said his mantra is to “Look good, play good and live large.” I think despite all of his success, this young man is not receiving good counsel. His arrogance will not serve him well in his professional career or his life off the field.
Before signing him, the Buccaneers said they did an extensive vetting of Winston. In the end, the team says they feel comfortable with him on and off the field. Bucs coach Lovie Smith described his behavior as a simple lack of maturity.
By recruiting players like Winston, without really addressing his troubling behavior, the NFL is sending a strong message to kids. To me, the organization is saying talent trumps integrity. So if you play well, then anything you do off the field will be excused.
This isn’t the message the Bucs or the NFL wants to send. My hope is that someone is able to get through to this young man about the responsibilities of being in the public eye and how to handle the pressures of fame. If not, the NFL will be front and center once again explaining to ticket holders, advertisers and millions of young fans why they didn’t see what many others undoubtedly saw; a young man desperately crying out for help.