David Cornwell, the attorney who defended Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston from sexual assault allegations, doesn’t think his client is ready for the NFL. Cornwell dished on Winston during a Friday morning appearance at Villnova Law School’s Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal Symposium.
Jameis Winston is ‘not ready to be an NFL player off the field,’ says his lawyer
David Cornwell, Winston’s attorney, had some surprising things to say about his client.
"He's ready to be an NFL player on the field. But he's not ready to be an NFL player off the field" - Cornwell on Winston. Gotdamn.
— Joel D. Anderson (@byjoelanderson) April 10, 2015 Winston’s off-field troubles in college were not limited to the sexual assault allegation. He got himself in trouble for several incidents during his college career, including stealing crab legs from a grocery store, yelling an obscene phrase in a crowded cafeteria, and a BB gun fight that brought police to his apartment complex.
Cornwell made it clear again that Winston is more than capable of holding his own in the pros on the field, and reassured the audience that his client would be the first player picked when the draft kicks off on April 30. His concern, one shared by a lot of people inside the NFL, was Winston’s maturity level. They’re working on that, too.
"We have to assist him in growing and developing as a man. And it's not going to be easy" - Cornwell on Winston.
— Joel D. Anderson (@byjoelanderson) April 10, 2015 "If he messes up again, he's done. … And so we talked about it and (Winston) said, 'I want to meet'" the commissioner - Cornwell
— Joel D. Anderson (@byjoelanderson) April 10, 2015 Cornwell says it was Winston's idea to meet with Roger Goodell. "He has an incredible self-awareness" - Cornwell on Winston
— Joel D. Anderson (@byjoelanderson) April 10, 2015 Winston and Goodell had their meeting during the first week of March, immediately following the Combine. The meeting was a chance for Winston to assure league execs about his maturity. It also gave the two sides a few hours to familiarize themselves with each other, establishing a relationship after Winston’s controversial college career.
But it’s clear from Cornwell’s comments that it’s going to take more than just a six-hour meeting with the commissioner to make the jump from college to the pros and convince a skeptical public that his past is behind him.
Cornwell elaborated on his remarks about Winston’s readiness, explaining that it’s not unusual for a twentysomething to be prepared for the “shark-infested pool” of life in the NFL.
"I don’t think (Winston) is unique. I don’t think anyone is ready. No one is ready for this world when they come into it" - Cornwell.
— Joel D. Anderson (@byjoelanderson) April 10, 2015 Winston was never charged with sexual assault, and he was eventually cleared of any violations of FSU’s conduct code. Cornwell made a few charged comments about the case and the national media coverage it received.
"It's the first time we've seen the vilification of an athlete drop into amateur ranks at this level" - Cornwell on Winston #MooradSymp
— Joel D. Anderson (@byjoelanderson) April 10, 2015 Cornwell is going on a diatribe against the coverage of Winston's rape case. First ESPN. Now New York Times. "It was based on ignorance."
— Joel D. Anderson (@byjoelanderson) April 10, 2015 Cornwell claims the New York Times wrote "what was basically an apology" after he complained about a reported column.
— Joel D. Anderson (@byjoelanderson) April 10, 2015 "I hope every single one of you are uncomfortable about this." - Cornwell
— Joel D. Anderson (@byjoelanderson) April 10, 2015 "Journalism is dead in sports media" - Cornwell
— Joel D. Anderson (@byjoelanderson) April 10, 2015 He again used Winston’s accuser’s name, something he’s done before, in discussing the particulars of the case.
Cornwell explaining why he's using her name publicly now. "The media only reported half the story."
— Joel D. Anderson (@byjoelanderson) April 10, 2015 "Her name had been known for months and reported. ... And it's a media policy. How can the media dictate to me how I will defend my client?"
— Joel D. Anderson (@byjoelanderson) April 10, 2015 Cleared or not, the controversy around Winston isn’t going to disappear in the weeks leading up to the 2015 NFL Draft. On Thursday, a report said one member of the Buccaneers ownership group -- the Bucs have the first pick in the draft, and are expected to take Winston -- raised concerns over making the FSU signal caller the face of the franchise.
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