When Jameis Winston Almost Ran Over Me-- And What It Says About Him

Early in 2014 — I cannot recall exactly when — I was nearly run over by FSU’s Jameis Winston, who is sure to go as a top pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. As a Florida State beat reporter who covers Seminoles’ practice, close interaction with a player is the norm, yet I can’t get over how my encounter with the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner spoke volumes about the player I covered throughout the 2014 season.

I was leaning up against the padded base of one of the light towers that illuminates the Seminoles’ outdoor practice field. Practice had not yet started, and, as many beat writers are wont to do, I was perusing my Twitter feed on my phone to see what else was happening in college football.

Players were making their respective ways to practice, one at a time, and I glanced up occasionally to see who had arrived. Until, that is, a green No. 5 nearly put me on the ground.

You see, players enter the practice facilities from the south, and I was positioned against the north end of the light-tower pole, which, including the padding that surrounds it, is much wider than I am, rendering me invisible to an approaching player.

For the most part, it’s a safe spot, as the majority of players leisurely stroll out to practice.

But Jameis Winston is not “most players.”

Winston — eager to hit the practice field — treated the structure against which I was leaning as a pylon, of sorts, weaving around it as if it were a blocker from whose cue he were cutting upfield. He made “a football move,” so to speak, getting low, putting his foot in the ground, and heading upfield, all before practice had actually begun.

In so doing, he brushed across my frame. I kept my footing — barely — as Winston raced into Florida State’s indoor practice facility.

For me, it was a comedic, and somewhat self-defacing, welcome to the FSU beat. On one of my first days on the job, I was, quite literally, nearly knocked on my ass. But now, in retrospect, the event serves as an even greater reflection of just what Winston wound up meaning to the ‘Noles.

You see, I was, admittedly, somewhat distracted, because there was still so much time before practice. I wasn’t expecting the star quarterback, and one of the best players in the country, to show up that early. Again: it was my first year on the beat. And my first lesson in Jameis Winston.

Looking back, it makes perfect sense.

To reiterate, it happened because Winston was there early. He couldn’t wait to compete, to improve, to win. Knowing what I now do about Winston, it makes perfect sense. Cutting around lighting poles loosens you up for slicing through defenders in practices, which prepares you for gouging opponents during games.

Winston’s approach was nothing if not consistent. In every practice I attended, throughout the season, I never saw Winston dog it.

Not once.

Some days were better than others for him, especially considering injuries he battled, but I cannot recall a single practice in which he didn’t seem to be 100% present, both mentally and physically. Simply put, he was always there— and usually before most others.

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Next, Winston was competing. Again, even before practice had commenced. And all season long, this continued– even before it needed to do so. Winston warmed up in the same line as Jalen Ramsey, and when the team ran through calisthenics, the two regularly raced to the sidelines when others were merely focused on getting loose.

I say this all to revisit the point that Winston was an extremely positive personality at FSU, be it as a quarterback on the field or as a player, and leader, approaching it. And that certainly includes the Florida State practice field, where none of us will ever encounter him again, and thus, stand a much better shot of remaining upright.

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When Jameis Winston Almost Ran Over Me– And What It Says About Him

By David Visser | Jan 9, 2015

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