Move over Deion Sanders, move over Bo Jackson.
Miami baseball coach Jim Morris believes FSU quarterback Jameis Winston could follow the trail the two multi-sport players once blazed.
"I think he's a first-rounder in both sports," Morris told UM baseball reporters on Tuesday, four days before Winston's third-ranked Seminoles take on No. 7 Miami. "It's really, really hard in baseball to be able to pitch and to hit, and he might be their best pitcher and their best hitter. And by the way, he's playing football, too, which is amazing.
"We have a very tough time finding a guy that can do both of those, hit and pitch, that's a tough thing to do ... and he might be the best quarterback out there. He's a very unique athlete."
Winston was a pitcher/outfielder for FSU's baseball team in the spring. He started 20 games in right field and 10 at designated hitter. Winston hit .235, with nine RBI. He also made 17 relief appearances, going 1-2 with a 3.00 ERA. He struck out 21 in 27 innings.
Winston was drafted in the 15th round by the Texas Rangers out of high school.
FSU baseball coach Mike Martin told the Raleigh (N.C.) News & Observer last week that Winston spends about seven weeks a year on baseball. "I don't think anyone knows how good he can be as an everyday player," Martin said.
Morris' idea that Winston could be a first-rounder in both sports won't come true. The only way he becomes a first-rounder in baseball is if he devotes more time to that sport, which isn't going to happen. Being a first-rounder in football, though, seems a given, whenever he decides to turn pro. The earliest he could declare for the NFL draft is 2015.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
