Jameis knows how to rile up Auburn fans.
Speaking to reporters in New York City a day before learning if he'll be taking home the 2013 Heisman Trophy, Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston invoked the name of Auburn legend Bo Jackson when asked about his aspirations to excel at both football and baseball.
"I want to be better than Bo Jackson, hopefully," Winston told reporters on Friday.
With his handlers attempting to fend off questions about the sexual assault allegations against Winston, the 19-year-old dropped this soundbite sure to give Auburns even more reason to root against him in the upcoming BCS National Championship Game.
As a true freshman, Winston appeared in 41 games as an outfielder, designated hitter or relief pitcher for the Seminoles baseball team. As a pitcher, he finished with a 1-2 record and a 3.00 ERA with 21 strikeouts in 27 innings. He also hit .235 in 119 at-bats. After swapping the diamond for the gridiron, Winston put up historic numbers as a redshirt freshman standout for the undefeated Noles. His 3,820 passing yards and 38 passing touchdown broke FBS records for a freshman.
"I think he's a first-rounder in both sports," Miami baseball coach Jim Morris told reporters in November, via NFL.com. "It's really, really hard in baseball to be able to pitch and to hit, and he might be their best pitcher and their best hitter. And by the way, he's playing football, too, which is amazing."
As amazing as Winston's start at Florida State has been, he's got a ways to go before anyone will put him in the same class as Jackson. The winner of the 1985 Heisman Trophy while at Auburn, Jackson went on to become a two-sport star and a cultural phenomenon whose 'Bo Knows' ad campaign was ubiquitous and whose "Tecmo Bowl" avatar was unstoppable. Jackson would be named an MLB All-Star in 1989 while playing with the Kansas City Royals and was a Pro Bowl selection after his 1990 season with the Oaklad Raiders.
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