Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston welcomes comparisons to Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders. So do the Texas Rangers.
Winston, 20, remains a member of the Florida State baseball team and said in December he very much wants to play two professional sports in the future. He’s a powerful outfielder for the Seminoles and was drafted by the Rangers in the 15th round of the 2012 draft out of Hueytown, Ala.
“I want to be better than Bo Jackson,” Winston said in New York before the Heisman ceremony last month. “Of course, I want to keep doing both. That’s my dream.”
Winston is also a late-inning reliever for Florida State, posting a 3.00 ERA in 27 innings with two saves last season. He hit .235 in 119 at-bats.
“Very charismatic personality and very confident in his abilities,” Rangers scouting director Kip Fagg told the Dallas Morning News. “It’s getting tougher and tougher to do both in modern-day specialized athletics, but I would not bet against him.”
Winston is unlikely to play for the Rangers because he is eligible for the draft again in 2015. If he goes to the NFL, where quarterbacks are the face of the franchise and paid to pour their heart, soul and energy into making that team a winner, Winston will face resistance from front office personnel and coaches if he pushes to split his attention between to full-time professional careers.
Winston said Monday he is planning to play baseball at Florida State when the season begins next month.