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Florida State suspends Jameis Winston for half-game for vulgar scream

Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston has been suspended for the first half of Saturday's game against Clemson.
(Steven Cannon / Associated Press)
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Florida State announced Wednesday it will suspend Jameis Winston for the first half of Saturday’s home game against Clemson in the wake of a vulgar remark uttered by the quarterback Tuesday.

Winston, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, stood up on a table on campus and screamed a sentence that is unprintable here. The exclamation was apparently derived from a popular Internet meme.

“It was not a good decision,” Coach Jimbo Fisher said of Winston’s behavior. “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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University president Garnett S. Stokes and athletic director Stan Wilcox released the following joint statement:

“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. Student-athletes are expected to act in a way that reflects dignity and respect for others.”

Winston, a third-year sophomore, led Florida State to a 14-0 record and the national title last year while sidestepping several off-field issues.

Last year, Winston was allowed to play in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game two days after it was announced charges would not be filed against him in a sexual assault complaint.

In April, Winston was caught shoplifting crab legs from a local supermarket. He missed no football playing time but was suspended briefly by the coach of Florida’s baseball team, for which he is the closer.

In July, at ACC media days, Winston said he “fixed everything” had learned from mistakes.

“I have learned the true definition of being a leader and being a leader on and off the field,” Winston said. “...Accountability is something to me and, so, yes, I have learned.”

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Winston will sit two quarters Saturday when No.1 Florida State hosts No. 22 Clemson in a key ACC showdown.

Last year, Florida State won at Clemson, 51-14.

“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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