Anyone who's spoken in front of a group of young children has arrived at the moment Jameis Winston faced at Melrose Elementary School on Wednesday. The class was getting restless; a few boys in particular were distracted, so Winston challenged them to stand up.
As a technique to engage a group of fifth-graders, Winston's move was clever. But then he went further. Keep in mind: this quote is one that will read more harshly in print than in the video showing how the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' quarterback actually said it.
"All my young boys, stand up. The ladies, sit down," Winston said, according to the Tampa Bay Times. "But all my boys, stand up. We strong, right? We strong! We strong, right? All my boys, tell me one time: I can do anything I put my mind to. Now, a lot of boys aren't supposed to be soft-spoken. You know what I'm saying? One day y'all are going to have a very deep voice like this [in deep voice]. One day, you'll have a very, very deep voice.
"But the ladies, they're supposed to be silent, polite, gentle. My men, my men [are] supposed to be strong. I want y'all to tell me what the third rule of life is: I can do anything I put my mind to."
This unchallenged, casual misogyny is out of place in an elementary school. Winston may not have intended to say that girls aren't strong, but he outlined different expectations by gender -- active boys and passive girls.
At least one of the girls in attendance turned to a teacher and said, "I'm strong, too," according to a very self-aware column by Tom Jones in the Tampa Bay Times. Jones said some teachers in the room were also disappointed by Winston's comment.
It seems that Winston, who has since lamented his "poor word choice," was brought in as a motivational speaker (you can be anything you want to be, etc.), rather than to discuss the things he's learned along the complicated path he's traveled since picking up a football.
While a player at Florida State University, Winston was accused, but never charged, with rape. Both Winston and FSU settled lawsuits filed by the accuser, Erica Kinsman, who chose to not remain silent. The outcome left many unanswered questions about the way the Tallahassee Police Department worked with the FSU athletic department in investigating the allegations.
Like it or not, his resume provides a context and a backdrop when it comes to gender issues.
Winston may not have intended for his words to have meaning beyond the classroom, but they do. In the complicated stories of accusations of sexual assault on campus, the lionization of revenue-generating athletes at the expense of people who report crimes is an ongoing issue. For many alleged victims, they feel like no one's listening, and that silence is expected from them. Winston has to understand that when he speaks about gender politics, it's interpreted in a different way because of what he's been through.
And that's just the truth of it -- Winston can be perfectly well-intentioned, and at the same time evoke the uncomfortable history that will always be part of his life.
To be fair, it's an ambiguity that he could more intentionally and better navigate as he continues his work in the community. If he talked to groups about the way he handled the accusations or the lessons he learned along the way, he might actually be an effective speaker in a college team context.
But fifth-graders?
Melrose, interestingly enough, is a journalism magnet school, so educators should have been well aware of the context of Winston's words. I called the school, but I was told no one was available to speak about the visit.
Winston is engaging and well-liked. and he visited the school on his own time after being invited. It's laudable that Winston has chosen to engage, and it shows a maturity that would be less important if not for his background. He should keep doing that.
But we shouldn't confuse athletic excellence with character. Throughout the course of my career, I've been able to listen to players of all ages and backgrounds speak to school groups or walk through a children's hospital. Even if a child doesn't know exactly who an athlete is, the NFL uniform means something -- kids can connect in an immediate way. But with great power comes great responsibility.
Winston was not there coaching football. He was delivering words to inspire the students before a test. He was being presented as a role model. There are any number of Bucs who don't have the baggage and could've provided the same message.
And as good as Winston is at football, there are better messengers in an NFL uniform.