LaCanfora: Jameis Winston to Enter NFL Draft

We all saw this coming. After all the controversy, the media onslaught (whether good or bad) and the perception that his character is in question, FSU quarterback an current Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston has announced he will turn pro after this season.

According to a report by CBSSports.com’s Jason La Canfora, Winston was originally torn about whether to stay another year, but due to several off-field issues in the past few weeks, he has decided it’s best to move on.

La Canfora said there have been several rumors that Winston would drop out of school because of his pending student code of conduct hearing and allegations he was paid for signing memorabilia, but La Canfora said that’s not likely to happen.

Ever since the then redshirt-freshman stepped onto the college football stage, he has been the center of media attention. Whether it has been the way he looked in his first game as a starter against Pittsburgh or how he has remained cool under fire in a flood of allegations that range from sexual assault to being charged with shoplifting to the most recent allegations of signing autographs for money, Winston tends to defer the attention to his team and their quest for a second national title.

Winston was suspended for the game against Clemson for comments he made in the FSU Student Union that were derogatory toward women.

Part of the media’s full court press on Winston is also related to the fact that FSU head coach Jimbo Fisher has been so quick to defend his player, saying repeatedly that he has done nothing wrong with regard to the autographs Winston is being investigated for.

According to LaCanfora’s report, These same sources said a few weeks back that Winston was torn as to his future, pointing to how much he loved playing football and baseball in college, and at that time they suggested that only if the team was still undefeated deep into the season and Winston having a superb season would he leave. Now, however, in the face of the multiple investigations into him, and what has become an adversarial relationship with school officials (excluding coach Jimbo Fisher and key members of the athletic department) it is virtually certain Winston is declaring no matter what happens in the second half of the season.

Fisher has faced pressure from above to further suspend Winston (he missed a game earlier this season after shouting an obscenity on campus), but has steadfastly resisted, sources said, with Winston adamant he did not accept money in exchange for autographs. No charges were pressed regarding the allegations made against him by a fellow student and Winston has denied any wrongdoing regarding that as well.