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FSU quarterback Jameis Winston discusses pressure he faces

PASADENA, Calif. — Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston has made national news, and not just on the football field.

Rape allegations overshadowed one of the best seasons by a quarterback in college football history.

Winston is remarkably poised, not only in the pocket, but in front of the press.

Now Winston is on the biggest stage of his life.

The spotlight is on the Heisman Trophy winning Winston, quarterback of the No. 1-ranked Seminoles.

The rape accusation has also had the spotlight on the 19-year-old.

"I can't control people's motives, but what I can control is what I do on the football field every single day and how I react around my teammates. That's what we really focus on, because it's not over yet," said Winston.

Winston may never shake the perception that he did something wrong even though he was cleared by the State Attorney's Office.

He said he understands that some still think he got away with rape, or a crime of some type.

"What people think outside of this and what people are trying to do, I can't control none of that. I just go out there and play football because I enjoy it and it's my passion and I've got these boys around me and that's what we love to do, go out there and play Florida State football," he said.

That mentality has worked. He's breaking records and on the verge of taking his Seminoles team through a perfect 14-0 season and a national championship.

"When you talk about pressure to me, with my mentality, I'm thinking about the stuff on the football field because that is my sanctuary," said Winston.

Winston turns 20 on Monday, the night that the Seminoles face the Auburn Tigers for the national championship.

"When you've got the opportunity to play in a national championship game, and your team is the only team on national television and then this game is on my birthday, we're not going out there to take anybody for granted," Winston said.

Even with opposing defenses, opposing people targeting him, Winston kept a clear enough head to play nearly perfectly and win the Heisman Trophy -- a trophy he won't take credit for.

"I definitely would vote for our team as the Heisman and when I brought that thing back, I said, 'Thank you' to everybody and I gave them the trophy and said, 'Hey, this is your trophy,'" Winston said.

Channel 9 anchor Greg Warmoth asked Winston how he deals with the pressure and the expectations.

"Pressure is something that I really don't focus on off the football field. I get most my pressure from coach (Jimbo) Fisher crawling down my back about making the wrong read or coach (Randy) Sanders telling me that I don't get my weight back and I just overthrew a 6-foot-6 receiver, wide open in practice -- now, that's pressure," Winston said.