Jimbo Fisher Says Jameis Winston Wasn’t to Blame for 2014 Clemson Game Uniform Mix-Up

During his two seasons as the starter at Florida State, Jameis Winston played in all but one game. But that one game featured quite the headache for his head coach at the time, Jimbo Fisher.

In September of 2014, a season after winning the Heisman Trophy and leading the Seminoles to their third national championship, Winston was suspended for Florida State's matchup against Clemson that week. The discipline came after he made a sexually explicit comment in the university's student union.

Initially, Winston was suspended for only the first half of the contest. However, the school's administration decided to apply the punishment to the entire game, after the quarterback was reportedly not forthcoming regarding the incident.

That didn't prevent the then-20-year-old from warming up, in full pads, on the field prior to kickoff — which resulted in Fisher becoming visibly upset with his player.

However, over nine years later, Fisher said during Friday's episode of Pardon My Take that the Seminoles' equipment staff, and not Winston, was to blame.

"His uniform was not supposed to be in his locker," Fisher, who was fired by Texas A&M in November, said. "When he came down to the locker, it was always said, 'If you're uniform's hanging in your locker, you dress.' He was supposed to be suspended for a half of that game.

"The night before the game, the administration changed it to a full game. Well, the equipment guys didn't get that memo, so they put his uniform in his locker, thinking he was gonna play the second half."

Winston, on Fisher's instruction, went back to the locker room, returning afterwards in his jersey, a baseball cap and without pads. The Seminoles, led by backup quarterback Sean Maguire, won the game in overtime, 23-17.

Winston returned the next week, but not before one chaotic night at Doak Campbell Stadium.