Jameis Winston: Can He Learn from the Mistakes of Maurice Clarett & Cecil Collins?
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By Debbie Edwards
USA Today High School Football All-American
2001 Ohio’s Mr. Football
2002 Big Ten Freshman of the Year
Roughly 600 all-purpose yards in 4 games
Louisiana’s “Mr. Football”
2013 Heisman Trophy Winner
2013 AP Player of the Year
2014 BCS National Championship MVP
Any one of these awards is an impressive accomplishment, yet Maurice Clarett, Cecil Collins, and Jameis Winston have managed to amass multiple honors. In the infancy of their past and current careers, these young men stand apart from their peers, destined for greatness because their natural talent is so uncanny that they each have or had the ability to change the outcome of a game with one run, one pass, one reception from the backfield. And yet, despite the talent, despite the promise, despite the unique abilities that these young men held in their careers, 2 of them managed to literally ball their careers up as casually as one grasps a piece of paper, and throw it away. Why?
In the early 2000’s, Maurice Clarett was one of the most celebrated athletes in college football. He came from a seemingly stable background, with both parents holding professional careers with state and local governments. He chose to play college football at Ohio State, whereby he helped his team to winning the 2002 BCS National Championship by scoring the winning touchdown against the University of Miami. This young man was poised to take the NFL by storm. Sadly, he never realized his full potential. There was a short stint with the Denver Broncos in 2005, but it never materialized. Prior to this, a string of incidents, one being a disregard for authority, evident by his vehemently arguing with the position coach in 2002, his criticism of university officials for not picking up his travel expenses for a friend’s funeral, and accusations that he skipped classes at the university should have raised concerns. True to life’s teachings, when personality flaws are not corrected and needed discipline is not given or taken, those seeds grow. When they are fertilized and cultivated, they mature…. but the fruitage is never good. Clarett was reported to have borrowed clothing and other items that young men of that age love and filing a false police report stating that the items were stolen. For this, he was suspended from Ohio State.
Unfortunately, his troubles heightened when he was arrested for armed robbery. This combined with his struggles with drugs, alcohol, and depression spiraled his life out of control, and he was sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison.
Cecil “The Diesel” Collins evokes especially fond memories of LSU Tiger Fans. Coming out of high school, he was selected as Louisiana’s “Mr. Football” in 1995. Anyone who has some knowledge of Louisiana football knows how prestigious of an award this was. Collins delighted Tiger fans by racking up almost 600 yards in his first 4 games as a Tiger. “The Diesel” was the man! However, his season, and shortly thereafter his career as a Tiger came to as sudden and devastating halt as a car crashing into a brick wall. What happened?
Cecil’s issues started from the very beginning of his college career. Details were sketchy, but it was implied that there was some improprieties in the taking and handling of his ACT test. His first score was not adequate by Division 1 College standards, so he retook the test. The second score was so improved that it raised the concerns of the NCAA Clearinghouse. He was required to take a retest, and since the third score failed to meet the minimum, he was forced to sit out his first year at LSU.
He managed to get those issues behind him, but the injury bug bit, and in his first season, after performing so well, he received a season-ending injury against Vanderbilt. Things continued to go downhill as Collins was dismissed from LSU before the start of the second season. He was arrested twice for illegally entering dwellings. He enrolled at McNeese State University, but failed a drug screen and was dismissed from that team as well.
Despite these self-imposed obstacles, he was selected in the 5th round of the NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, but those old demons reemerged. Collins received a 15 year prison term stemming from another home invasion.
“Famous Jameis” Jameis Winston is simply phenomenal. He is the 2013 Heisman Trophy Winner, 2014 BCS National Championship MVP, and for all intents and purposes, a football sculptor. Though described as the most hated college football player, he is simply electrifying on the football field. He may not be liked, but he must be respected. He is a defense’s worst nightmare. This year alone, in 5 games, he has amassed 1605 passing yards and 13 touchdowns. His raw athleticism, football genius, and ability to dissect defenses like a biologist dissects a frog should gain him immense success in the pros. There is only one thing that can stop Jameis. Jameis!
In 2012, Winston was alleged to have brought a BB gun on campus and got the attention of campus police for firing at squirrels. In late 2012, a report was filed with the Tallahassee Police Department alleging that Winston sexually assaulted a woman. In 2013, Winston was alleged to have stolen soda from Burger King. In 2014, Winston was issued a civil citation for shoplifting crab legs from a Tallahassee grocery store. About a month ago, Winston was suspended for the Florida State v/s Clemson game for standing on a table top in the student union shouting “f*** her right in the p****”.
Most recently, there have been allegations of autograph compensation, a violation of NCAA regulations.
There is a common thread to the stories of Maurice Clarett, Cecil Collins, and Jameis Winston, and while Winston’s career is certainly far from over, he can learn a lot from his predecessors. One thing that is blaringly obvious is that trouble starts with attitude. These athletes are great, but they must learn respect for authority, as in respect for coaches, university rules, and standards. So when Maurice Clarett was seen arguing with his coach, or Cecil Collins’ first attempt at taking the ACT was unsuccessful, they should have been left to deal with the repercussions of those actions. Clarett should have been disciplined. Collins should have been required to learn the skills lacking to successfully pass the test.
Another common thread in these stories is the entitlement mindset that so many have adopted. We are entitled to what we earn. Period. So fostering a flashy, materialistic mindset by receiving clothes, stereo equipment, cash, do nothing to build character, self-esteem, and work ethic. In fact, it subtracts from the qualities that these young men will need to succeed in life.
Additionally, failure to respect boundaries should have been addressed and corrected. Whether those boundaries were crossed by taking items that didn’t belong to them, breaking into others homes, regardless of the motives, taking soda or crab legs from stores and restaurants, or bringing firearms where firearms are prohibited, those young men needed to realize the seriousness of their transgressions, and should have been held accountable. Furthermore, it was imperative that an adult or authority figure stress to the young men that the expectation is, despite their athletic grandeur, they are men. And as men, they are expected to abide by the laws and regulations of the universities and the communities. There should not have been any preferential treatment. To do so would be, in effect, destroying the moral foundation that was so needed in these men’s lives.
In fact, this lesson is quite simple for these athletes and any athletes to learn. The analogy is one that they live throughout football season. Simply stating it, every team, at one point or another has been down to an opponent. What enabled the team to come back from the deficit? Was it not needed analyzing of play calling and adjustments? So, at half-time, perhaps the coach recognized that a certain blocking assignment was missed. The person missing the assignment was coached in a manner that he would recognize where the mistake happened and thereafter correct it.
So, when Cecil Collins made his half-time adjustment by shedding “The Diesel” persona, by stating to a Louisiana newspaper that he is intent on doing the right things, when he thinks and speaks of the mistakes that he made in the past, he is doing something that is second nature to him. Or when Maurice Clarett made his half-time adjustment, which included enrolling in a program while he was incarcerated that would help him to get his degree in Geriatrics and Gerontology, when he looked inside himself and saw what changes needed to be made, when he shared his mistakes openly in an attempt to save someone else from his plight, when he realized the error of his way and took steps to correct it, he, in essence, became a coach of sorts, making the adjustments so that he could win.
Jameis Winston has also received coaching from football legend, Bo Jackson. Jackson reportedly gave him a scathing speech that may be reminiscent of something heard in a locker room. And while preliminary indications are that Winston has not responded favorably, and more disappointing, his coach, Jimbo Fisher, took issue with the well-needed words, time will tell how he ultimately responds. Winston’s rebuffing of any well-founded discipline would be comparable to him telling his offensive coordinator to take a hike. It’s his choice, but it isn’t the smart choice. Let’s hope that Winston’s life IQ is equivalent to his football IQ. See the deficiency. Correct it. Play by the rule book. Win!