Jameis Winston recalls 'unbelievable' things Alabama fans did to him after he committed to FSU
Jameis Winston grew up in Alabama, and for a long time, many expected him to commit to the Crimson Tide. Instead, Winston went to Florida State and ended up leading the Seminoles to a national title.
Needless to say, Alabama fans weren’t thrilled with how that decision played out.
Winston appeared on Pardon My Take recently and shared the reaction around Alabama after he committed to FSU. Winston attended Hueytown High in Hueytown, Alabama, about 45 miles from the University of Alabama.
“I’m a kid from Alabama. I’m 35 minutes from Alabama. Listen, when I committed to Florida State, the things that happened to me and my family was unbelievable,” Jameis Winston said. “Living in the state of Alabama, 35 minutes from Tuscaloosa, I mean, my mailbox getting beat down. Thank the Lord Home Depot had these mailboxes you could stick in the ground.”
In addition to his mailbox, Winston believes other damage was done to his property, even though he doesn’t necessarily have proof.
“This is something that’s serious — I still don’t have grass that grows in my front yard at my hometown house. I still don’t,” Winston said. “Because I feel like somebody poisoned my grass. … Something happened. Like, how does my grass stop growing? And I smelt gasoline when I got home. Like, me and my dad, we talk about this.”
Other family members were also impacted by Winston’s decision to go to Florida State instead of Alabama. That includes his grandmother, who worked in the medical field.
“My grandmother, she worked at UAB Medical, God rest her soul. And she was an avid Alabama fan. Fans would send my grandmother – my grandmother – hate mail,” Winston said. “You coming at grandma, you know what I’m saying? Just because her grandson ain’t going to Alabama. That is the stuff that you go through. … And all these things that I went through, it made me stronger.”
Going to Florida State worked out just fine for Winston.
As a redshirt freshman in 2013, he won the Heisman Trophy and led the Seminoles to a national title.
Winston was named the Offensive MVP of the national championship game after passing for 237 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Auburn.
The ironic thing? Alabama fans were likely rooting for him in that game in order to keep the Tigers from winning a national championship.
Of course things worked out just fine for Alabama, too. The Crimson Tide won the national championship in 2012, the year Winston redshirted, and again in 2015.