Florida State Football: Top 15 players in program history

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12. Jameis Winston

Jameis Winston’s three years in Tallahassee were tainted with off-field issues but Jameis deserves a spot on the list. Winston was the MVP of the Elite 11 quarterback camp and the nation’s top rated quarterback per ESPN in 2012.

After redshirting behind EJ Manuel, Winston came into his own in the 2013 season. Few players have or will ever throw for over 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns during their freshman season. Winston’s 2013 campaign saw him throw for an eye-popping 11.5 yards per passing attempt as the Seminoles ran rough shot over college football. Jimbo’s lone national title in Tallahassee came at the end of the 2013 season which was the final year of the BCS.

In 2014, Winston threw for 3,900 yards and 25 touchdowns but his interceptions climbed from 10 to 18 and his yards per attempt dropped to a more human 7.7 average. Winston finished his time as the starting quarterback of the Seminoles with a 26-1 record losing only in the semifinal to Oregon in the first ever College Football Playoff.

Winston is another two-sport star at FSU, having played baseball for the ‘Noles hitting only .209 but his ERA was a 1.94 over 41 appearances. Along with the 2013 national title, Winston also won the Heisman Trophy in the 2013 season.

The gunslinger was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was the NFL Rookie of the Year in 2015 and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie quarterback. Winston has had his professional ups and downs and his off-field problems have persisted but eventually he will be an FSU Hall of Famer.

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