Deserving the Heisman

Famous Jameis, the 2013 version of the 2012 Johnny Football, is the freshmen phenomena  of this years college football season.

What makes him so special? Is it his 6-4, 230 pound frame as a true freshmen out of Alabama? Is it because of how he has torn up the competition in the ACC, one of the weaker D-1 college football conferences in the land? Or is it because he is truthfully the only one who really "deserves" the Heisman trophy this season? Let's define "deserve" for the sake of what has happened over the past couple of weeks in the name of Famous Jameis when it comes to him and the Heisman Trophy award.

Jordan Lynch. A name that many are not familiar with, is the QB for the Northern Illinois Huskies who currently sits second in many people's eyes as the runner up to the eventual naming of the Heisman trophy here in the next couple weeks. Voting ends in less than week and all we have is this guy to back up the obvious choice on the field in Jameis Winston. Why does Jameis Winston "deserve" the Heisman? Before Saturdays game against Duke in the ACC championship game, he has a 69% completion percentage, 35 touchdown passes, 8 interceptions, 3,500 yards passing, 192.6 QB rating and, based upon ESPN's adjusted QBR rating, he scores a 92 (out of 100). This is without mentioning he is the QB currently playing on the most dominant team in college football who (right now) is the #1 team in the nation (Florida State) and has beaten their opponents by an average of 42.7 points a game. In the biggest game of the year against Clemson in mid-October when FSU was ranked 5th and Clemson was ranked 3rd, FSU went into Memorial Stadium (Home of the Clemson Tigers) and didn't just beat Clemson, but pummeled them with a 51-14 victory and opened the eyes in many throughout the nation. This was also the biggest game of Famous Jameis's very young (and potentially short) career, as he threw for 444 yards, had 3 touchdowns, and a QBR of 89.4. This was the match-up of the season for FSU and all Famous Jameis did was decide to have his Heisman moment whether he knew it or not.

He is clearly the favorite by not just a big margin, but this should be the definition of a landslide when it comes to Heisman picks correct? FSU is undefeated (12-0 heading into the ACC championship game) they are the unanimous #1 team in the nation, and their QB is clearly the X-factor and leader of the this entire football team... but... (and there is always a but) does his integrity help him "deserve" this trophy?

Reggie Bush (2005 Heisman trophy winner* [* = he had his trophy striped from him due to NCAA violations]) lost his trophy due to payments he received throughout his time at USC, essentially making him INELIGIBLE to participate in Division 1 competition. He was clearly the best player in 2005, but his integrity cost him the ultimate award in all of college sports. Famous Jameis, the nickname we all know Jameis Winston by, maybe shouldn't be called by that name after the news we've heard over the past couple of weeks with alleged rape convictions from a young women who said she was sexually assaulted in December of 2012.

Now why do I say his integrity is in question? You can be the judge of that based upon this allegation, but with the news that the Tallahassee police and community members tried to cover up this story while he was going through the recruiting process, it puts him clearly in the cross hairs of a potential suspension and possible loss of scholarship because of this cover up. The questions then start to flood in of, "Would FSU have signed this guy if they knew of the allegations of rape were on his mantle?" "Would Jameis Winston even have played this season if people knew of this investigation earlier?" "Would FSU have had the season they would have had knowing that their freshmen QB couldn't play because of a character issue off the field?" These are very valid questions and questions that many Heisman voters will be pondering leading up to the last days of the voting process which will change the perception of Jameis Winston forever if he does hold the trophy in a couple weeks.

Whatever the case is, on the field, Jameis Winston holds true (to this point) as the best player in the land, but will his off the field issues hold the integrity of the award away from him even sniffing the almighty fraternity of the Heisman trophy house? When it comes to Jameis Winston "deserving" this trophy, he truly does deserve it because I believe what he has done on the field far outweighs the problem off it.

I will say one thing before heading off into the cold dark night. If this allegation holds true and he is convicted of sexual assault, he should get the Reggie Bush treatment and have his award revoked clearly based upon character issues that the Heisman does not promote. But then the question of past Heisman winners becomes an integrity flawed system if he does not get it revoked. The perfect example, 1968 Heisman trophy winner, O.J. Simpson. Granted his integrity issues happened 25+ years after he won the award, but the Heisman is a lifelong fraternity that one must hold themselves accountable for their actions. If Jameis Winston is convicted of this crime, and he gets his Heisman revoked, you better blank out that 1968 trophy too, because even though O.J. was innocent, many people think otherwise. I sniff the same stew brewing in Tallahassee.