Jameis Winston
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Jameis Lanaed Winston ( ; born January 6, 1994) is an
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
for the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
of the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL). He played
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
at
Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
, where he became the youngest player to win the
Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
and led his team to victory in the
2014 BCS National Championship Game The 2014 Vizio BCS National Championship Game was the national championship game of the 2013 college football season, which took place on Monday, January 6, 2014. The game featured the Auburn Tigers and Florida State Seminoles. It was the 16t ...
during his freshman year. Declaring for the NFL after his sophomore season, Winston was selected first overall by the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
in the
2015 NFL Draft The 2015 NFL Draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2. The previous ...
. Winston set several franchise rookie records for the Buccaneers, earning him
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
honors, and led the league in passing yards during the 2019 season. However, he was unable to reach the playoffs with the Buccaneers and his 2019 campaign was also marked by him leading the league in interceptions, including setting the NFL season record for interceptions returned for touchdowns. Not re-signed to Tampa Bay after his rookie contract expired, Winston joined the Saints as a backup to
Drew Brees Drew Christopher Brees (; born January 15, 1979) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons. A member of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, Brees is the NFL leader in ...
. He became the team's primary starter in 2021 following Brees' retirement.


Early life

Winston was born in
Bessemer, Alabama Bessemer is a southwestern suburb of Birmingham in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States. The population was 26,019 at the 2020 census. It is within the Birmingham- Hoover, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area, of which Jefferson County is the ...
on January 6, 1994. He attended
Hueytown High School Hueytown High School is a four-year public high school in the Birmingham, Alabama suburb of Hueytown. It is one of fourteen high schools in the Jefferson County School System. Hueytown competes in AHSAA Class 6A athletics. According to the websi ...
, where he played both
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
and
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...
. Winston was considered the best
dual-threat quarterback In gridiron football, a dual-threat quarterback, also known as a running quarterback, is a quarterback (QB) who possesses the skills and physique to run with the ball if necessary. With the rise of several blitz heavy defensive schemes and increa ...
recruit in the nation by
Rivals.com Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting in the United States. The network was started in 1998 and employs more than 300 personnel. History Rivals.com was founded in 1998 by Jim Heckma ...
, and the best overall quarterback recruit by
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
. Winston was also named the MVP of the
ESPN RISE Elite 11 The Elite 11 is a quarterback competition for high school quarterbacks across the United States. Elite 11 was founded in 1999 by Andy Bark and continues to be run by his company, Student Sports Inc, hosted at the Nike World Headquarters in Beaver ...
quarterback camp. Additionally, Winston earned the Gatorade Player of the Year recognition for the state of Alabama. Winston committed to attend
Florida State University Florida State University (FSU) is a public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher education in the st ...
on February 3, 2012. The Texas Rangers selected Winston in the 15th round of the
2012 Major League Baseball Draft The 2012 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held from June 4 through June 6, 2012, from Studio 42 of the MLB Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The Houston Astros, with the first overall pick, selected Carlos Correa from the Puerto R ...
out of high school. Though the Rangers proposed allowing him to play for the
Florida State Seminoles football The Florida State Seminoles football team represents Florida State University (variously Florida State or FSU) in the sport of American football. The Seminoles compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Colle ...
team while working out with their baseball organization, Winston decided not to sign.


College career


Football


2012 season

Winston
redshirted Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...
during the 2012 college football season behind senior quarterback
EJ Manuel Erik Rodriguez "EJ" Manuel Jr. (born March 19, 1990) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Florida State, leading the Seminoles to an ACC championship and Orange Bowl win in his senior year, and was drafted by ...
.


2013 season

Prior to the 2013 season, Winston was named Florida State's starting quarterback. In his college debut, he completed 25 of 27 passes with four passing touchdowns along with a rushing touchdown in a 41–17 victory over the
University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...
. Winston helped lead the team to an undefeated 13–0 regular season record, including a 45–7 victory in the ACC Championship against
Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
. For his successes in 2013, Winston earned numerous accolades. He was named the 2013 ACC Offensive Player of the Year and ACC Player of the Year to go along with winning the AP Player of the Year Award, Davey O'Brien Award, Manning Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award, as well as the nickname "Famous Jameis". In addition, he was named as a Consensus All-American. Most notably, he won the
Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
on December 14, 2013, beating out quarterbacks
A. J. McCarron Raymond Anthony "A. J." McCarron Jr. (born September 13, 1990) is an American football quarterback for the St. Louis BattleHawks of the XFL. He previously played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons. McCarron played college ...
,
Jordan Lynch Jordan Lynch (born October 3, 1990) is a former American football quarterback and running back. After playing college football at Northern Illinois, where he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy in 2013, and going undrafted in the 2014 NFL Draft, ...
, and
Johnny Manziel Johnathan Paul Manziel ( ; born December 6, 1992) is an American football quarterback for the FCF Zappers of Fan Controlled Football (FCF). He played two seasons with the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) and was also a mem ...
, the previous winner, as well as running backs
Tre Mason Trence Mason (born August 6, 1993) is a former American football running back. He played college football at Auburn and was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft. High school career Mason attended Park Vista C ...
and
Andre Williams Andre Williams may refer to: * Andre Williams (musician) * Andre Williams (American football) * Andre Williams, British DJ better known as Shy FX {{hndis, Williams, Andre ...
. He became the second freshman to win the award, after Manziel won the previous year. He also became the youngest to win the award, at 19 years and 342 days. On January 6, 2014, Winston's 20th birthday, Florida State defeated
Auburn Auburn may refer to: Places Australia * Auburn, New South Wales * City of Auburn, the local government area *Electoral district of Auburn *Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region *Auburn, South Australia *Auburn, Tasmania *Aub ...
34–31 in the
2014 BCS National Championship Game The 2014 Vizio BCS National Championship Game was the national championship game of the 2013 college football season, which took place on Monday, January 6, 2014. The game featured the Auburn Tigers and Florida State Seminoles. It was the 16t ...
. Winston was named the Offensive MVP of the game after passing for 235 yards with two touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown pass to
Kelvin Benjamin Kelvin Benjamin (born February 5, 1991) is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. He played college football at Florida State and was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He also played for ...
with 13 seconds left. Winston finished his freshman season with a conference-leading 4,057 passing yards and 40 passing touchdowns, which set an
ACC ACC most often refers to: * Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US *American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...
record and a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision freshman record.


2014 season

Winston started 13 games his redshirt sophomore season. He did not play in one game due to suspension. After a 13–0 regular season, the Seminoles were selected to play in the 2015 Rose Bowl, a semifinal game in the
College Football Playoff The College Football Playoff (CFP) is an annual postseason knockout invitational tournament to determine a national champion for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the highest level ...
, against
Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
. Oregon would win the game by a score of 59–20, giving Winston his only loss as a starter during his college career. Winston finished the season with a conference-leading 3,907 passing yards and 25 touchdowns. He finished in sixth place in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2014. After the season, Winston decided to forgo the remaining two years of eligibility and enter the
2015 NFL Draft The 2015 NFL Draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2. The previous ...
. He finished his career 26–1 as a starter and completed 562 of 851 passes for 7,964 yards, 65 touchdowns, and 28 interceptions.


College statistics


Awards and honors

*
Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
(2013) *
Walter Camp Award The Walter Camp Player of the Year Award is given annually to the collegiate American football player of the year, as decided by a group of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I FBS head coaches and sports information directo ...
(2013) *
Manning Award The Manning Award has been presented annually since the 2004 football season to the collegiate American football quarterback as judged by the Sugar Bowl Committee to be the best in the United States. It is the only quarterback award that incl ...
(2013) *
Archie Griffin Award The Touchdown Club of Columbus was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1956 by Sam B. Nicola at the request of state auditor Jim Rhodes, James A. Rhodes, who later became governor of the state. Nicola served as the club's president until his death in 1 ...
(2013) * AP Player of the Year (2013) * ''Sporting News'' Player of the Year (2013) * BCS National Championship (
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
) * BCS National Championship Offensive MVP (
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
) * Orange Bowl champion (
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
) * Consensus All-American (
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
) * 2× First-team All-
ACC ACC most often refers to: * Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US *American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...
(2013, 2014) * ACC Player of the Year (2013) * ACC Offensive Player of the Year (2013) *
ACC ACC most often refers to: * Atlantic Coast Conference, an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic conference located in the US *American College of Cardiology, A US-based nonprofit medical association that bestows credentials upon cardiovascular spec ...
Rookie of the Year (2013) *
ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year The Atlantic Coast Conference honors players and coaches upon the conclusion of each college football season with the following individual honors as voted on by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. Coach of the Year *1953: Jim Tatum, Mar ...
(2013) *
ACC Athlete of the Year The Atlantic Coast Conference Athlete of the Year award is given to the male and female athlete who show extraordinary talent throughout the entire season. The award is decided by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association. Anthony J. ...
(2014) * College Football Performance National Freshman of the Year (2013) * ACC Championship Game MVP (2013) * 3× ACC Championship (
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
,
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
,
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
) * ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' High School All-American (
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
)


Baseball

Winston chose Florida State in part because he was allowed to play for the
Florida State Seminoles baseball The Florida State Seminoles baseball team represents Florida State University (variously Florida State or FSU) in the sport of college baseball. Florida State competes in NCAA Division I, and the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conferenc ...
team in addition to football. A switch-hitting batter and a right-handed thrower, he played as an
outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...
and a
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
as a freshman in 2013. He batted .235 with a .723
on-base plus slugging On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player both to get on base and to hit for power, two important offensive skills, are ...
in 119
at-bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a bat ...
s and had a 3.00
earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
in 27
innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched (IP) are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher is on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one innin ...
. Prior to the 2014 season, Winston was named a preseason All-American by ''
Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...
'' as a 3rd-team
utility player In sports, a utility player is one who can play several positions competently. Sports in which the term is often used include association football, American football, baseball, rugby union, rugby league, softball, ice hockey, and water polo. The ...
.


College statistics


Professional career


Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
took Winston first overall in the
2015 NFL Draft The 2015 NFL Draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2. The previous ...
. On May 1, 2015, Winston signed a four-year, $23.35 million contract with the Buccaneers, with a $16.7 million signing bonus. The contract prevents him from playing any other sport than football.


2015 season

Winston played his first regular season game against the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
that featured fellow first rounder,
Marcus Mariota Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota (born October 30, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted second overall by the Tennessee Titans in the 2015 NFL Draft. Mariota play ...
. In the 42–14 loss, his first pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown by Coty Sensabaugh. Winston's interception was the first time a rookie's first pass was returned for a touchdown since
Brett Favre Brett Lorenzo Favre ( ; born October 10, 1969) is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 20 seasons, primarily with the Green Bay Packers. Favre had 321 consecutive starts from 1992 to 20 ...
in 1991. On November 22, 2015, against the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
, Winston tied an NFL rookie, and Buccaneers franchise, record with five touchdown passes. Winston set franchise rookie records in pass attempts, pass completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns. Winston finished his rookie season with 4,042 passing yards, finishing 23 yards short of the franchise record set by Josh Freeman in 2012. Winston also became the third rookie quarterback to pass over 4,000 yards in a season. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team for his 2015 season, becoming the fourth Buccaneers quarterback to receive this award, joining Tom Owen (1974), Doug Williams (1978), and
Mike Glennon Michael Joseph Glennon (born December 12, 1989) is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at NC State and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He has also pl ...
(2013). Following his team's loss in the AFC Championship game,
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
quarterback
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
elected not to participate in the
2016 Pro Bowl The 2016 Pro Bowl (branded as the 2016 Pro Bowl presented by USAA for sponsorship reasons) was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2015 season, which was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on January 31, 2016. As of 20 ...
; as a result, Winston was selected to his first Pro Bowl game making him the first rookie quarterback in Buccaneers' history to be selected.


2016 season

Winston's second season in the NFL began with an impressive performance against the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
at the
Georgia Dome The Georgia Dome was a domed stadium in the Southeastern United States. Located in Atlanta between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west, it was owned and operated by the State of Georgia as part of the Georgia World Congress Center ...
, in which he completed over 70% of his throws for 281 yards and four touchdown passes in a 31–24 victory. He earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Falcons. Following Week 1, the Buccaneers began to struggle through injuries, inconsistent play, and offensive turnovers till mid-season, at which point the team was 3–5 and had experienced blowout losses to the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
,
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
, and Atlanta Falcons - a three-game losing streak. Following the loss to the Falcons, the Winston-led Buccaneers began playing efficient offense as well as exceptional defense and special teams play, resulting in the Buccaneers' first five-game winning streak since their Super Bowl-winning
season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
. The win streak gave the Buccaneers possession of the 6th seed in the NFC playoff race, which they quickly lost after back-to-back losses to the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
and
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
. Winston led the Buccaneers to their first winning season in six years after defeating the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
in the regular-season finale, during which he broke the franchise records for passing yards and passing touchdowns in a season and became the first quarterback in NFL history to start his career with consecutive seasons of 4,000 yards passing. However, the Buccaneers were eliminated from playoff contention via a tiebreaker with the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
. He was ranked 57th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.


2017 season

During Week 6 against the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
, Winston left the game with an apparent right shoulder injury. The next day, October 16, Winston suffered a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder, but he stated that he could play through it. During Week 9's loss to the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
, Winston was taken out of the game with the same shoulder injury. Head coach
Dirk Koetter Dirk Jeffrey Koetter ( ; born February 5, 1959) is an American football coach who is currently serving as the interim offensive coordinator at Boise State University. He was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football Lea ...
announced the next day that he would miss at least two weeks to rest his shoulder. While on the sideline, Winston initiated an altercation with Saints rookie
Marshon Lattimore Marshon Demond Lattimore (born May 20, 1996) is an American football cornerback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Ohio State, and was drafted by the Saints 11th overall in the 2017 N ...
, while being assisted by teammate Mike Evans, for which Winston was fined $12,154. In the game, Winston became the second-youngest player in NFL history to reach 10,000 career passing yards, four days older than record holder
Drew Bledsoe Drew McQueen Bledsoe (born February 14, 1972) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football at Washington State, whe ...
. He missed the next three games due to injury and returned in Week 13. Overall, Winston and Buccaneers struggled to a 5–11 record. Winston finished the 2017 season with 3,504 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.


2018 season

On April 17, 2018, the Buccaneers picked up the fifth-year option on Winston's contract. On June 21, the NFL announced that he would be suspended for violating the league's personal conduct policy, regarding his latest incident where he allegedly groped a female
Uber Uber Technologies, Inc. (Uber), based in San Francisco, provides mobility as a service, ride-hailing (allowing users to book a car and driver to transport them in a way similar to a taxi), food delivery (Uber Eats and Postmates), package ...
driver. On June 28, the announcement was made official, giving Winston a three-game suspension to begin the 2018 season. After missing the first three games due to the suspension, Winston returned in Week 4 against the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
, but did not start. He replaced
Ryan Fitzpatrick Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick (born November 24, 1982) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. During his career, Fitzpatrick started at quarterback for nine different teams, the most ...
in the third quarter, finishing with 145 passing yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions as the Buccaneers lost 10–48. In Week 6, against the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
, he had 395 passing yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions in the 34–29 loss. In Week 8 against the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
, Winston threw for 276 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions and he was benched in the third quarter for Fitzpatrick. During Week 11 against the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
, Fitzpatrick threw three interceptions and was benched for Winston in the second half. Winston threw for 199 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception as the Buccaneers lost 38–35. Two weeks later, in a 24–17 win over the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
, Winston completed 20 of 30 passing attempts for 249 yards and two touchdowns, breaking the franchise record for passing touchdowns in a career with 81. Three weeks later, in a 27–20 loss to the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
, Winston completed 34 of 48 passing attempts for 336 yards and one touchdown, breaking the franchise record for completions in a career previously held by Josh Freeman. Overall, he finished the 2018 season with 2,992 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions.


2019 season

Prior to the start of the season, head coach
Dirk Koetter Dirk Jeffrey Koetter ( ; born February 5, 1959) is an American football coach who is currently serving as the interim offensive coordinator at Boise State University. He was the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football Lea ...
was fired and replaced by former
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
head coach
Bruce Arians Bruce Charles Arians (born October 3, 1952) is an American football executive and former coach in the National Football League (NFL). Since 2022, he has been a senior football consultant for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Arians was previously the he ...
. In Week 1, during a 31–17 loss to the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
, Winston broke the Buccaneers franchise record for passing yards in a career previously held by
Vinny Testaverde Vincent Frank Testaverde Sr. (; born November 13, 1963) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons. He played college football at Miami, where he was an All-American and won the Hei ...
but finished with 194 passing yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. Following a lackluster first two weeks of the 2019 season, during a 32–31 loss to the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
in Week 3, Winston passed for 380 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception. The following week, Winston passed for 385 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception in a 55–40 win over the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
. As a result of his performance, Winston was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week. During Week 6 against the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
at
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is the home of Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur in north London, replacing the club's previous ground, White Hart Lane. With a seating capacity of 62,850, it is the third-largest football stadium in England and the ...
, Winston became the first quarterback in Buccaneers franchise history to pass for 100 touchdowns in a career, but finished with 400 passing yards, one touchdown, a lost fumble, and a career-high five interceptions as the Buccaneers lost 37–26. Two weeks later, in a 27–23 loss to the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
, Winston broke another Buccaneers franchise record, previously held by Testaverde, for career passing attempts, but finished with 301 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions, and two lost fumbles. The following week, in a 40–34 overtime loss to the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
, Winston passed for 335 yards, two touchdowns, and lost a fumble. In Week 10, during a 30–27 victory over the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
, he had 358 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. In the next against the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
, Winston threw for 313 yards, two touchdowns, and four interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, as the Buccaneers lost 34–17. In Week 12, during a 35–22 win against the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
, Winston passed for 313 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. During Week 14 against the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
, Winston finished with a then career-best 456 passing yards, five rushing yards, five total touchdowns, and three interceptions as the Buccaneers won 38–35. As a result of his performance, Winston broke the Buccaneers' single-season franchise record for passing yards that he set in 2016, becoming the first quarterback in franchise history to pass for over 4,100 yards in a season. In Week 15, during a 38–17 win over the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
, Winston finished with a career-best 458 passing yards, four rushing yards, four touchdowns, and one interception as he both became the first quarterback in NFL history to have consecutive games of 450 passing yards and broke the franchise record for passing touchdowns in a single season that he set in 2016, becoming the first quarterback in franchise history to throw 30 passing touchdowns in a single season. In Week 16, during a 23–20 loss to the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
, Winston threw for 335 yards, one touchdown, and four interceptions with one returned for a touchdown. In Week 17, during a 28–22 overtime loss to the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
, Winston threw for 201 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions including a game-ending one that was returned for a touchdown by linebacker
Deion Jones Deion Jones (born November 4, 1994) is an American football linebacker for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at LSU, and was selected by Atlanta Falcons in the second round of the 2016 NFL ...
. As a result, Winston became the eighth quarterback in NFL history to throw for 5,000 yards in a single season, the first Buccaneers quarterback to throw for 5,000 yards in a single season, and the first quarterback in NFL history to throw at least 30 touchdowns and 30 interceptions in a single season. Winston finished his fifth year setting new career highs, leading the league in
passing yards The following terms are used in American football, both conventional and indoor. Some of these terms are also in use in Canadian football; for a list of terms unique to that code, see ''Glossary of Canadian football''. 0–9 ...
, completions, and attempts to go along with new career highs in passing touchdowns but also leading the league in interceptions and total turnovers. He finished with 5,109 passing yards, 33 passing touchdowns, one rushing touchdown, 30 interceptions, and five lost fumbles. Winston's seven interceptions returned for touchdowns set an NFL record, and his 84.3 passer rating ranked 27th among starters. Winston was also recognized for having his first and last pass as a Buccaneer returned for touchdowns. On February 28, 2020, it was revealed that Winston underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus. It was also revealed that Winston had LASIK surgery. Furthermore, he was dealing with the knee injury and a broken thumb for the entire 2019 season. Winston was not re-signed by the Buccaneers in the offseason, as they opted to replace him with longtime
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
quarterback
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
.


New Orleans Saints

On April 28, 2020, Winston signed a one-year contract with the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
. His contract had a value of $1.1 million including his base salary of $952,000 and a signing bonus of $148,000 with a possible $3.4 million in incentives.


2020 season

Winston made his first appearance of the 2020 season in Week 9 against his former team the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
on '' Sunday Night Football'' in relief of Brees. Winston passed for 12 yards as the Saints beat the Bucs 38–3. In Week 10 against the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
, Winston came in the second half after Brees left the game with a rib injury. Winston completed 6 of 10 passes for 63 yards as the Saints won 27–13. He was placed on the reserve/
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
list by the team on December 20, 2020, and activated four days later. In the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Winston went into the lineup on a trick play and threw a 56-yard touchdown pass to
Tre'Quan Smith Tre'Quan Smith (born January 7, 1996) is an American football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at UCF. Early years Smith attended Village Academy High School in Delray ...
during the 30–20 loss.


2021 season

On March 15, 2021, Winston re-signed with the Saints on a one-year deal worth $12 million. On August 27, 2021, Winston was named the starting quarterback for the Saints over Taysom Hill. Making his first start for the Saints against the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
, Winston threw for 147 yards and five touchdowns as the Saints won 38–3. The following week against the
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
with multiple starters injured and seven coaches sidelined due to
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
Winston threw for 111 yards and 2 interceptions with no touchdowns in the 26–7 loss. During week 5 against the
Washington Football Team The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) E ...
Winston and the Saints overcame two early turnovers to beat Washington 33–22 while throwing for 279 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception, along with a fumble. In Week 8 against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South divisio ...
, Winston had to leave the game in the second quarter due to a knee injury after being
horse-collar tackle The horse-collar tackle is an American football maneuver in which a defender tackles another player by grabbing the back collar or the back-inside of an opponent's shoulder pads and pulling the ball carrier directly downward violently in order to ...
d by Tampa Bay linebacker
Devin White Devin Marcel White (born February 17, 1998) is an American football linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at LSU, and was drafted by the Buccaneers fifth overall in the 2019 N ...
. He would be replaced by
Trevor Siemian Trevor John Siemian (born December 26, 1991) is an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Northwestern and was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round ...
, who went on to win the game, 36–27. The next day, it was revealed that Winston had suffered a
torn ACL An anterior cruciate ligament injury occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is either stretched, partially torn, or completely torn. The most common injury is a complete tear. Symptoms include pain, an audible cracking sound during inju ...
and had MCL damage, ending his season.


2022 season

On March 21, 2022, Winston signed a two-year, $28 million contract extension with the Saints. On September 18, it was reported that Winston suffered four fractures in his back.


NFL career statistics


Records and achievements


NFL records

* Most passing touchdowns in a single game by a rookie quarterback: 5 (tied with
Ray Buivid Raymond Vincent Buivid (August 15, 1915 – July 5, 1972) was an American football player who played quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Chicago Bears. A versatile player, Buivid played quarterback, halfback, and defensive ...
,
Matthew Stafford John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia, where he was a first-team All-American, and was selected f ...
,
Deshaun Watson Derrick Deshaun Watson (born September 14, 1995) is an American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players ...
, and Daniel Jones) * Most passing touchdowns by a rookie quarterback in one half: 4 (tied with
Marcus Mariota Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota (born October 30, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted second overall by the Tennessee Titans in the 2015 NFL Draft. Mariota play ...
and
Deshaun Watson Derrick Deshaun Watson (born September 14, 1995) is an American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players ...
) (November 22, 2015, vs. Philadelphia Eagles) * Youngest player to pass for 3,000 yards: (21 years, 342 days) December 13, 2015 * Youngest player to pass for 4,000 yards: (21 years, 363 days) January 3, 2016 * Second youngest player to pass for 10,000 yards: (23 years, 303 days; 4 days older than
Drew Bledsoe Drew McQueen Bledsoe (born February 14, 1972) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football at Washington State, whe ...
) November 5, 2017 * Youngest player to pass for 40 touchdowns: (22 years, 312 days) November 13, 2016 * Most seasons of passing for 4,000 yards to begin a career: 2 (2015–2016) * Most touchdown passes before 24th birthday: 69 (23 years, 360 days) December 31, 2017 * Most consecutive 450+ yards passing games: 2 (2019) * Most interceptions returned for touchdowns in a season: 7 (2019) * First player in NFL history to throw 30-or-more touchdowns and 30 interceptions in a season: (2019) * Fewest yards in a game with 5+ touchdowns: (September 12, 2021, vs. Green Bay Packers)


Buccaneers franchise records


Rookie records

*Most passing touchdowns by a rookie – 22 *Most passing yards by a rookie – 4,042 *Most pass attempts by a rookie – 535 *Most pass completions by a rookie – 312 *Most games started by a rookie – 16 *Most interceptions for a touchdown by a rookie – 2 *Highest passer rating by a rookie – 84.2 *Most yards gained per pass attempt by a rookie – 7.56 *Most passing yards per game – 252.6 *Most wins by a rookie – 6 *Most losses by a rookie – 10 *Most 4th quarter comebacks by a rookie – 2 (tied with Bruce Gradkowski,
Mike Glennon Michael Joseph Glennon (born December 12, 1989) is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He played college football at NC State and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He has also pl ...
, & Josh Freeman) *Most game-winning drives by a rookie – 3 (tied with Bruce Gradkowski) *Most rushing touchdowns by a rookie quarterback – 6 *Most rushing attempts by a rookie quarterback – 54


Game records

*Most consecutive games of 300 yards passing – 6 (Week 6–12, 2019) *Most passing touchdowns in a game – 5 (tied) (November 22, 2015, vs. Philadelphia Eagles) *Most passing attempts in a game – 58 (September 25, 2016, vs. Los Angeles Rams) *Most pass completions in a game – 36 (tied with Brian Griese) (September 25, 2016, vs Los Angeles Rams) (Later broken by
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
)


Season records

*Most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a season – 6 (2015) *Most passing touchdowns in a season – 33 (2019) (Later broken by
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
) *Most passing yards in a season – 5,109 (2019) (Later broken by Tom Brady) *Most passing yards per game in a season – 319.3 (2019) *Most passing attempts in a season – 626 (2019) (Later broken by Tom Brady) *Most consecutive seasons, 3,000 yards passing – 3 (2015–2017) (tied with Brad Johnson (American football), Brad Johnson and Josh Freeman) *Most seasons with 3,000+ passing yards – 4 (2015–2019) *Most consecutive seasons of 4,000 yards passing – 2 (2015–2016) (tied with Tom Brady) *Most seasons of 4,000 yards passing – 3 (2015–2019) *Most games of 300 yards passing in a single season – 11 (2019)


Career records

*Most games of 300 passing yards – 27 (2015–2019) *Most passing touchdowns – 121 (2015–2019) *Most pass completions – 1,563 (2015–2019) *Most passing yards – 19,737 (2015–2019) *Most passing attempts – 2,548 (2015–2019) *Most passing yards per game in a career – 274.1 (2015–2019) *Most rushing yards by a quarterback – 1,044 (2015–2019) *Most rushing attempts by a quarterback – 248 (2015–2019) *Most fumbles – 50 (2015–2019)


Personal life

Winston married his wife, Breion Allen, in a private ceremony held at their home on March 27, 2020. They have two sons together.


Controversies


Sexual assault allegation

On November 14, 2013, the State's attorney, State Attorney of the Second Judicial Circuit Court of Florida, Second Judicial Circuit announced they were opening an investigation into a sexual assault allegation involving Winston that was originally filed with the Tallahassee Police Department (TPD) on December 7, 2012. The complaint was originally investigated by the police and classified as open/inactive in February 2013 with no charges being filed. The police report, containing the complainant's original statement, has been posted by the Tallahassee Police Department. Tallahassee police stated that the complaint was made inactive "when the victim in the case broke off contact with TPD, and her attorney indicated she did not want to move forward at that time" and then re-examined after media requests for information started coming in early November. On December 5, 2013, State Attorney Willie Meggs announced the completion of the investigation and that no charges would be filed against anyone in this case, citing "major issues" with the woman's testimony. Meggs stated that "As prosecutors, we only bring charges for cases where the evidence will result in a likely conviction at trial. In this case, the evidence does not show that." Allegations of improper police conduct have been made by both parties, with the complainant claiming to have been pressured into dropping her claim and Winston's attorney alleging inappropriate leaks to the media. Florida State's policy is that athletes charged with a felony cannot play until their case is resolved, but Winston continued to play throughout the investigation because he was never charged. On April 16, 2014, ''The New York Times'' reported irregularities in the rape investigation involving Winston. The complainant developed bruises and semen was found on her underwear. 34 days later, the complainant identified Winston by name as her attacker. Tallahassee police contacted Winston about 13 days later. No DNA sample was taken from Winston until the prosecutor took over the case, months later; once it was taken in November 2013, it was found to match DNA found in the complainant's underwear. The investigation was conducted by Officer Scott Angulo, who, the ''Times'' article notes, did private security work for the Seminole Boosters, the primary financier of Florida State athletics. The official FSU hearing, presided over by retired Florida Supreme Court Justice Major B. Harding, on December 21, 2014, cleared Winston of violating the student conduct code in the sexual assault allegation. An extract from Harding's decision is below.
I do not find the credibility of one story substantially stronger than that of the other. Both have their own strengths and weaknesses. I cannot find with any confidence that the events as set forth by you, (accuser), or a particular combination thereof is more probable than not as required to find you responsible for a violation of the Code. Therein lies the determinative factor of my decision.
The accuser filed a civil suit against Winston in April 2014 and Winston countersued her for defamation and tortious interference in May 2014. In a September 2015 ruling, federal judge Anne C. Conway dismissed Winston's tortious interference claim, but declined a motion to dismiss his claim for defamation. These civil claims were settled out of court in December 2016, four months before the case was scheduled to go to trial. In November 2015, Winston told CNN that he was prepared to file suit if the network aired ''The Hunting Ground'', a documentary about college campus rape which includes disputed allegations about Winston. CNN was undeterred and aired the documentary on November 22, 2015. In 2016, the university paid $950,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by the same woman alleging a violation of Title IX by FSU in handling her complaint. The university also agreed to conduct five years of sexual awareness programs. It did not admit liability.


Shoplifting incidents

In July 2013, a Burger King employee called police in July to complain that Winston was stealing soda. According to the police report, Winston came into the restaurant with three men, but did not order any food. An employee, who recognized him, first saw him using ketchup cups to take some soda. He asked for a water cup after she told him to stop, but he said he would use it for soda and filled it repeatedly with soda over her objections, the report said. On April 29, 2014, Winston was issued an Summary offence#United States, adult civil citation for shoplifting crab legs from a Tallahassee Publix store. Winston was ordered to undergo 20 hours of community service, and was suspended from any college baseball activity until he completed his community service.


Vulgar comments

On September 17, 2014, Winston was suspended for the first half of Florida State's upcoming game against Clemson. ''The Guardian'' reported that "several students tweeted" that Winston shouted, "List of Internet phenomena#Videos, Fuck her right in the pussy!" an Internet meme, while standing atop a table in Florida State University's Student Union. Two days later, university president Garnett S. Stokes and athletic director Stan Wilcox, citing results of an "ongoing investigation", announced that Winston would be suspended for the whole game.


2017 groping allegation

On November 17, 2017, it was reported that the NFL conducted an investigation, where Winston allegedly groped a female
Uber Uber Technologies, Inc. (Uber), based in San Francisco, provides mobility as a service, ride-hailing (allowing users to book a car and driver to transport them in a way similar to a taxi), food delivery (Uber Eats and Postmates), package ...
driver in 2016. Two days later, it was revealed that Ronald Darby, who also attended Florida State, was also on board during the ride in which this incident supposedly occurred. Darby has defended Winston against the allegations. However, the investigation found evidence that Winston got into another Uber ride alone, which was consistent with the Uber driver's account, and concluded that Winston "violated the Personal Conduct Policy by touching the driver in an inappropriate and sexual manner without her consent". The league announced on June 21 that it was suspending Winston for the first three games of the 2018 NFL season, 2018 season as a result of his involvement in the incident, which it carried through on June 28.


See also

* List of NCAA major college football yearly passing leaders


References


External links

* * *
New Orleans Saints bio

Florida State football bio


{{DEFAULTSORT:Winston, Jameis 1994 births Living people African-American baseball players African-American players of American football All-American college football players American football quarterbacks Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Alabama Florida State Seminoles baseball players Florida State Seminoles football players Heisman Trophy winners New Orleans Saints players Sportspeople from Bessemer, Alabama People from Hueytown, Alabama Players of American football from Alabama Tampa Bay Buccaneers players Unconferenced Pro Bowl players Campus sexual assault Hueytown High School alumni National Football League first-overall draft picks 21st-century African-American sportspeople