PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Bobby Bowden used to be the face of Florida State football. Apparently, now he's the voice of the fans.
Florida State's longtime former head football coach was critical of 2013 Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston during an interview on Paul Finebaum's ESPN Radio show Tuesday.
"I think it's a consensus among FSU fans and boosters that he was an embarrassment to the university," Bowden was quoted as saying on the show.
Finebaum misquoted Bowden, who actually said that Winston "was an embarrassment in a lot of ways" to FSU.
Bowden used the word "embarrassment" after Finebaum used the same word in describing Winston's off-field behavior. Bowden went on to say that Winston "hurt himself off the field."
"The good news is he's young enough to get over that, you know it?" Bowden said. "But he's got to do that. He just can't make those junior high school decisions that he made when he was in college."
Winston led the Seminoles to a 26-1 record and the 2013 national championship as FSU's starting quarterback the past two seasons. He left school early to become the No. 1 overall selection in the NFL Draft and signed a four-year, $23.35 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Winston's time in Tallahassee might best be remembered by those outside the FSU fan base for a series of incidents that tarnished his reputation, most notably a 2012 sexual assault allegation.
32976762
In December 2013, as the Seminoles were poised to play for the national championship, Tallahassee state attorney Willie Meggs said his office would not prosecute Winston, citing a lack of evidence.
A year later, Winston was cleared of violating the student conduct code after a school hearing presided by former Florida Supreme Court justice Major Harding.
His accuser, Erica Kinsman, filed a lawsuit against Winston, who has countersued. Winston has claimed the sex was consensual.
In April 2014, Winston was issued a shoplifting citation after he walked out of a Publix without paying for $32.72 worth of crab legs and crawfish. He was ordered to undergo 20 hours of community service and suspended from the baseball team for three games.
Last September, Winston was suspended for a game after he stood up on a table and yelled an obscene comment in the student union. He was initially suspended for the first half, but the school announced on the eve of the game that he would not play.
Bowden's comments don't lack credibility. Under Bowden, the Seminoles won 304 games games, 12 Atlantic Coast Conference championships and two national titles. During his 34-year tenure in Tallahassee, the Seminoles finished with 10 or more wins and ranked among the top five for 14 straight seasons from 1988-2000. However, the program began to slip in his later years as the Seminoles lost six games in three of his final four seasons, ultimately leading to his forced retirement after the 2009 season.
His replacement, Jimbo Fisher, restored FSU to national prominence. The Seminoles are 58-11 in Fisher's five seasons at the helm. Of course, it was Fisher who lured Winston away from his home state of Alabama to Tallahassee, where he starred on the football field and the baseball diamond. But it's Winston's antics off the field more than his achievements on the field that have dominated the headlines and divided FSU fans.
Add Bowden to the list of fans glad to be done with the Winston era.
Follow Local 10 Sports on Twitter @Local10Sports