3 things to know about Jameis Winston, Florida State’s star quarterback
The Seminoles go to Death Valley Saturday night. Here’s what you need to know about their signalcaller.
Jeff Gammons
Winston, a redshirt freshman from Hueytown, Ala., was the nation's top-rated dual-threat quarterback recruit when he signed with the Seminoles in February 2012. He has not disappointed. In his first collegiate start, Winston went 25/27 for 356 yards and four touchdowns at Pitt. He followed that up with a near-perfect 15/18 performance against Nevada in the Seminoles' home opener. While Winston has thrown more incompletions in FSU's last three games, he is still maintaining a 73.2% completion percentage, third nationally. His pass efficiency rating is second only to Baylor's Bryce Petty. His 17 touchdown passes are tied for fifth nationally with Marcus Mariota and Aaron Murray.
Most importantly, Winston has not tried to do too much. The Seminoles are running for 228 yards per game in large part due to running backs Devonta Freeman and Karlos Williams, who are each averaging more than seven yards per carry. Winston looks happy to let the running game lead the way, pitching in 135 rushing yards of his own. He also has protected the ball well, throwing just two interceptions so far. Dabo Swinney said earlier this week that Winston "doesn't look like any redshirt freshman [he has] ever seen," and Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables is equally impressed. It's hard to argue against them.
2. He’s been better on the road
Florida State has struggled at Death Valley in the past -- the ‘Noles haven’t won at Clemson since 2001 and have lost the last five games by a combined 64 points -- but Winston has shined on the road this season. He followed up his stellar opener at Pitt with a 17/27, 330-yard performance at Boston College three weeks ago. Winston added 67 rushing yards against the Golden Eagles, his highest rushing output of the season to date. So far this season, Winston is 42/54 for 686 yards in road games. He has thrown eight touchdowns against just one interception, and posted 92 rushing yards and a score.
Death Valley is a significantly more formidable environment than Chestnut Hill or Heinz Field, but make no mistake: Jameis Winston is not intimidated by a less-than-hospitable crowd.
3. He’s good at other sports, too
As good as Winston has been on the gridiron, he’s maybe even better on the baseball diamond. Winston plays right field and pitches for FSU’s top-rated baseball team, routinely throwing out baserunners from the outfield.
He was drafted in the 15th round of the 2012 MLB Draft by the Texas Rangers and could well make his career in Major League Baseball. But that's not all! Last week, Winston showed he's good at basketball, just as long as the basketball is being played with a football:
For more on Winston and the Florida State Seminoles, head over to Tomahawk Nation.
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