Jameis Winston Says He Nearly Attended Stanford over FSU

Jameis Winston became a sensation by winning the Heisman trophy and a national championship at Florida State, though he came close to playing for David Shaw at Stanford.  

According to Matt Maiocco of Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Winston said during a conference call that the Cardinal were on his radar when he was making a choice about which college to attend:

"

When I got accepted into Stanford, me and my family were excited. I actually took my visit out there to make my final decision. When I came from Palo Alto, I was blown away. But I decided to go to FSU (laughs).

It was me just really not knowing how prestigious Stanford was. I look back all the time and see how if I’d gone to Stanford which way my life could’ve turned. But, you know, you make decisions and you go with them and you own them.

"

Winston grew up much closer to Florida State in ACC territory than Stanford. He was born in Alabama and played high school football in the state, including winning the 2012 Gatorade State Player of the Year. 

Per Maiocco, Winston said two of his friends, linebacker Noor Davis and safety Drew Madhu, wound up playing football at Stanford. 

"You are who you place yourself around," Winston said. "And I would’ve loved the opportunity to go to Stanford and be with some of my friends out there."

Winston was tremendous in two seasons at Florida State from 2013 to 2014. He led the program to a 27-1 record, highlighted by a 34-31 win over Auburn in the final BCS Championship Game after the 2013 season.

Stanford was a good program during that two-year stretch, compiling a 19-8 record with a Rose Bowl appearance in January 2014. The Cardinal have not had a dynamic quarterback since Andrew Luck left following the 2011 season. 

It's fun to think of how college football history might have been rewritten if Winston had gone to Stanford. He did turn his talent in college into being the No. 1 overall pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015, so things turned out OK for him.