Alleged Rapist Jameis Winston Cleared of Charges in FSU Student Conduct Hearing

Jameis Winston could be the most talked about college football player in the country. Sure his skills on the field are highly commendable, but his actions off the field have made him a household name. Winston has been battling rape allegations in a student conduct hearing for the last month, and recent accounts indicate he is getting off free of charges. This is interesting because it was originally reported that Winston suspiciously declined to answer any question pertaining to the case.

In December of 2013, Winston became the youngest player to win the Heisman trophy at age 19. Shortly thereafter, he led the Florida State Seminoles to the BCS National Championship. Also, Winton is an accomplished baseball player. He is an outfielder, pitcher and switch hitter.

Even with such a respectable reputation, that hasn't been what has drawn the public's attention this year.

Jameis was accused of raping an ex-FSU student back in 2012. The case seemed to go on and on, and it seemed to be an endless detriment to Winston's career. According to TMZ Sports, however, Jameis Winston was cleared of wrongdoing:

"Jameis Winston is walking away clean from the alleged rape case --Former Florida State Supreme Court Justice, Major Harding ... announced FSU's star QB did not violate the university's student code of conduct. Harding oversaw a hearing earlier this month where Winston came face-to-face with the woman who claims he sexually assaulted her in 2012. Harding says there was insufficient evidence to prove Winston violated the campus' code. The FL State Attorney also cited a lack of evidence for not charging Winston following a criminal investigation..."

True, no punishment will come from the college or the criminal system, but will Winston ever recover from this incident. Plus, according to ESPN, Jameis didn't help his cause in the beginning:

"Winston, who is accused of sexually assaulting a former FSU student in his off-campus apartment on Dec. 7, 2012, repeatedly declined to answer questions from Major Harding, a former Florida State Supreme Court Chief Justice who is overseeing the case, and during cross-examination by his accuser, according to people familiar with the case."

Last time I checked, people who are innocent don't plead the fifth. What do you think? Was the school to easy on the superstar? Do you think he got away with rape? Let us know in the comment section below.