Former Florida State players are coming to Jameis Winston’s defense after former head coach Bobby Bowden made comments on the Paul Finebaum Show that Jameis Winston was an embarrassment to the university in more ways than one.
Former Florida State defensive back and Rhodes Scholar Myron Rolle thinks that Bowden’s comments on Winston are off base.
Former Florida State star Myron Rolle says Bobby Bowden was wrong to say Seminoles supporters believe Jameis Winston was an embarrassment to the school.
Rolle won a Rhodes scholarship while playing for Bowden at Florida State and has known Winston since the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback was in high school.
“I didn’t agree that Jameis was an embarrassment to FSU,” Rolle said. “Anybody who meets him one on one, they’ll realize just how good of a young man this is. How solid he is.”
Rolle was in Washington to attend a meeting of the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics. Rolle, who is attending medical school at Florida State, has been a member of the Knight Commission since last year.
He played defensive back at Florida State from 2006 to ’08 and put off an NFL career for a year to study at the University of Oxford in England.
Rolle said perhaps Bowden got caught up in Winston’s negative publicity.
“That’s not who he is,” Rolle said of Winston. “That’s not who we are. Certainly Florida State fans didn’t appreciate Coach’s comments too much.”
“I know Coach; he loves FSU,” Rolle said. “I know his heart’s in the right place.
“It’s unfortunate how it played out, but I know Jameis will do well and I’m sure he doesn’t have any hard feelings toward Coach, either.”
“I think he’s learned from some of the things he’s gone through and it’s just going to help him be a better leader and better person in the future,” Rolle said.
It’s not shocking that players are coming to Winston’s defense after Bowden’s comments. From the looks of things public perception and the way his teammates feel about Winston are polar opposites, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see more Florida State players have glowing things to say about Jameis.
I am personally surprised that Bowden chose to speak out on Winston in that fashion considering some of the things that happened at Florida State on his watch. We haven’t forgotten about that just yet, Bobby.