FSU to sit Jameis Winston for half
— -- Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston has been suspended for the first half of Saturday's game against Clemson after he was seen shouting an obscene sexual phrase on campus Tuesday, the latest incident in which his off-field behavior has created problems for the team.
FSU interim president Garnett S. Stokes and athletic director Stan Wilcox denounced Winston's "offensive and vulgar" behavior in a statement Wednesday to announce the punishment.
"As the university's most visible ambassadors, student-athletes at Florida State are expected to uphold at all times high standards of integrity and behavior that reflect well upon themselves, their families, coaches, teammates, the department of athletics and Florida State University," the joint statement said. "Student-athletes are expected to act in a way that reflects dignity and respect for others."
The joint statement also said Winston would undergo "internal discipline."
On Tuesday, Florida State students began flooding Twitter as several witnessed the reigning Heisman Trophy winner allegedly stand on a table in or in the immediate vicinity of the student union and yell obscenities, mimicking a popular Internet video. The phrase is of a sexual nature.
Winston apologized for his "selfish" act.
"First of all, I want to apologize to the university, my coaches and to my teammates," Winston said. "I'm not a 'me' person, but in that situation, it was a selfish act, and that's not how you do things around here.
"I want to apologize to my teammates because I have now made a selfish act for them. That's all."
Coach Jimbo Fisher, speaking during Wednesday's ACC teleconference, also showed his displeasure for what happened.
"It was not a good decision," Fisher said. "You can't make certain statements that are derogatory or inflammatory to any person, race or gender. You have to understand that. You have to be very intelligent about what you say, [because] it matters."
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