LOS ANGELES -- Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston has become one of the most polarizing figures ever to play on the hallowed grounds of the Rose Bowl, but he certainly has his defenders among the Seminoles faithful.
Winston's most ardent supporter, though, is his head coach, Jimbo Fisher. Fisher has been around his fair share of divisive players during his decades in coaching, but he stood up for his quarterback once again Wednesday when asked yet again why Winston is viewed by many as a villain heading into his matchup with Oregon's Marcus Mariota.
"I mean, the guy is such a kindhearted people guy. He loves people," said Fisher. "He loves to be around people, not from a standpoint of 'I'm Jameis Winston.' He generally likes people. He's fun to be around. He's genuine. He's honest. He's just a good guy. He really is."
Winston, 20, has been under siege the past 18 months for a number of off the field issues that have turned the Heisman Trophy winner into one of the most debated figures in  the country in both NFL scouting circles and the national media. While most know him solely for his exploits off the field that make headlines, Fisher made sure to point out that it's not the full story of who Winston is to him and his teammates.
"The other day, he had a little house in the neighborhood where he lived, where him and a couple of people lived," the coach said. "The day of the Heisman, as a matter of fact, because he finished up an exam on Friday night and had practice on Sunday. So we had that one off day. He spent an hour and a half or two hours playing backyard football with about 12 kids in the neighborhood."
It remains to be seen whether such stories can reverse the trend of scouts saying Winston's off-the-field issues are a nightmare to deal with, but it's clear that at least among the Seminoles, he evokes a far different opinion from those outside of Tallahassee.
You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.
