Jameis Winston Under Investigation for Autographs Authenticated By Company Linked to Todd Gurley
ByFlorida State University (FSU) has another Jameis Winston problem, as a large number of his autographs have caught administrators' attention.
Citing unnamed sources, ESPN reported that FSU is investigating how one company authenticated a large amount of Winston-autographed items. Seminoles head football coach Jimbo Fisher reportedly asked his quarterback if he exchanged his autograph for money and Winston said he did not.
James Spence Authentication (JSA), the same company that reportedly authenticated Georgia running back Todd Gurley's autographs, currently has 950 items listed bearing Winston's autograph. It is not against NCAA bylaws for college athletes to sign their name on memorabilia and for those items to be sold later.
It becomes a violation if the player receives some sort of compensation in exchange for their autograph. After receiving some form of evidence that he accepted payment for his autograph, Gurley was suspended indefinitely.
Neither the Atlantic Coast Conference nor the NCAA has contacted FSU, ESPN reported, as the school began the probe independently. FSU could self-impose a punishment on Winston, who is not in hot water for the first time, if they find any wrongdoing.
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner was caught on camera shoplifting crab legs from a local grocery store in April. Then he was suspended for a full game last month for shouting a sexually lewd phrase in a public area and lying about the incident.
On top of everything, he is currently awaiting a disciplinary hearing for the sexual assault a female FSU student accused him of committing in Dec. 2012. He has not been charged, but the hearing may or may not change that.
"Kids sign things all the time," Fisher told reporters after Saturday's win. "So what do you want them to do, stop signing stuff? We could make them not have any fans from that standpoint and not sign for anybody. That's what it's going to come to, and that's a shame for college football, that somebody exploits a kid. Now if they're getting paid for it, then I don't have any knowledge of that. I don't believe Jameis did."