Tim Tebow and Jameis Winston, with plenty in common on an NCAA football field, are miles apart in leadership skills and maturity.
Tebow could and did make good decisions on and off the field; Winston, meanwhile, is beset with the kind of problems that could turn his considerable assets on the gridiron into liabilities as he goes through life.
Andy Fenelon of NFL.com claims the former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from the University of Florida is attempting to counsel Florida State University's reigning Heisman-winning quarterback from afar, appealing to Winston, who sat out FSU's 23-17 overtime escape against Clemson, "to be a better leader," and giving him other advice to inspire change in him.
"I hope he can see that and understand that these kids are going to watch him and they're going to follow him and it's his responsibility to lead them in a good direction," Tebow said on ESPN's Sportscenter Saturday. "And that's my prayer for him."
Fenelon said the latest black mark against Winston came within 24 hours of the Seminoles' kickoff against Clemson, at which time FSU stretched their half-game suspension to the entire game. Why? Because last week Winston yelled an obscene phrase in a public setting on campus.
FSU students didn't just observe the incident, they took to Twitter, claiming Winston stood on a table near the school's student union and hollered a vulgar remark toward women.
Tebow said, "I have two sisters and a mom and what was said just isn't OK. My hope and my prayer for Jameis is that he can find wise counsel and that he can find people that will invest in him and invest in his life ... he has something that's more important to live for than just the moment."
Winston has been involved in a number of incidents, starting with accusations of sexual assault of a female student in 2012 and including a highly publicized shoplifting incident at a Tallahassee supermarket.
Though charges were never filed against Winston in the assault case, FSU recently opened a Title IX investigation of its own.
