Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher blamed a staff “miscommunication” for Jameis Winston dressing out in his uniform during warm-ups Saturday night and said the star quarterback’s one-game suspension “hit home.”
“Tremendously,” Fisher said when asked how missing the top-ranked Seminoles’ 23-17 overtime win over Clemson affected the reigning Heisman Trophy winner.
“I think you could see it on the sideline … (but) he was a great influence for Sean and the other guys on the sideline. It was not for show or go. It was something heartfelt. I think it hit home, there’s no doubt.”
Winston’s backup, sophomore Sean Maguire, struggled for much of the game, but his 74-yard touchdown bomb to leading receiver Rashad Greene with six minutes left in the fourth quarter tied it at 17-17.
Winston was suspended for the game for shouting what the university called an “offensive and vulgar” phrase in the student union last week. Winston apparently was mimicking a popular Internet video.
The suspension was initially for only the first half but was extended to the entire game on Friday night after he misled the administration, sources told ESPN.
Fisher reinstated Winston on Monday and named him the starting quarterback for this week’s game against NC State.
Despite being suspended, Winston inexplicably came out of the locker room about an hour before kickoff dressed in full pads and began warming up with his teammates.
It took about 10 minutes for Fisher to notice, and cameras captured Fisher with an exasperated look on his face as he spoke with Winston, whom he then sent back to the locker room.
Winston returned 15 minutes later — this time minus his pads — and began walking around yelling words of encouragement to teammates as they stretched.
Fisher took blame for the pregame mix-up.
“That was a miscommunication between us and the (equipment staff) because, with the late-night (full-game) suspension, he was scheduled to dress (Saturday) and the stuff was put out in the locker room when he went in to dress,” Fisher said Monday. “He assumed he was going to dress for warm-ups and went out, and I never saw it. It got miscommunicated.
“(The equipment staff) probably should have never had it in the locker and that’s exactly what happened. We saw it, corrected it, he was great about it, went in and came back out and did what he was asked to do.
“That was our fault internally. We were making adjustments, moving around and that was one part that slipped through the cracks. I wanted to clarify that.”
The suspension was latest in a series of off-the-field incidents involving Winston.
He was investigated for sexual assault in 2013, although he was never charged. Nonetheless, Florida State is continuing its Title IX investigation into the alleged incident.
Winston was suspended from the baseball team for three games last spring and ordered to perform 20 hours of community service after being cited for stealing $32 of crab legs from a grocery store in April.
Fisher was asked Monday if Winston understands the scrutiny he is under.
“I guess. I’d say he does,” Fisher said. “But at the same time he has carefree moments and he does spontaneous things that he has to make better judgments on.
“And I say this: It’s not that I defend; I do not condone. I said that the other day, but Jameis is not a bad individual.”
