Nov 23, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; New York Giants quarterback Jameis Winston (19) warms up before the game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Heisman Winner Jameis Winston Reveals Donation to FSU Football

Originally posted on Florida State Seminoles on SI
By Tommy Mire | Last updated Feb 6, 2026 9:47 AM ET

Florida State Hall of Famer Jameis Winston is no stranger to the spotlight. From winning a national championship and a Heisman Trophy in 2013 to carving out a decade-long NFL career, he has experienced the business of athletics at both the collegiate and professional levels.

With NIL firmly taking hold of college athletics, more money than ever is being poured into players and universities seeking an edge in today's sports landscape.

Winston Highlights NIL’s Impact Beyond Player Compensation

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

With Super Bowl LX set for this upcoming Sunday, athletes and personalities from across the NFL have arrived in Santa Clara, California, to participate in the pre-game festivities. Winston recently appeared on a Front Office Sports filming and broke down not just his support for Florida State, but the importance of infrastructure, not just income.

"I've definitely donated to my alma mater; however, how they distribute that money is up to them. But the NIL phase is huge, right?" Winston said. "Because you're seeing college players making a large sum of money, but you're also seeing them get connected with lawyers, with financial advisors, with a different type of person that they wouldn't have had access to until they were drafted in the NFL. "

Jameis Winston on Florida State and NIL:

"I've definitely donated to my alma mater." pic.twitter.com/0MeBZyVLRc
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) February 5, 2026

That donation was apparently more than seven figures.

Asked Jameis off camera after this *how much* he's given to FSU. "More than a million" he said. https://t.co/g2c66hlH3e
— Daniel Roberts (@readDanwrite) February 5, 2026

Winston Emphasizes Financial Responsibility in the NIL Era

Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The Hueytown, Alabama, product essentially believes that financial education is no longer an option and that player learning alongside parents and legal guardians is a must due to the amount of money being thrown around.

"I think that access to start growing with your parents and learning with whoever their legal guardian is, is required in this game now," Winston continued. "Because they're getting a lump sum of money and they have to know how to steward that money."

Thinking long-term seems to be the Giants quarterback and former FSU star's main priority when it comes to student-athletes.