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          Jameis Winston reminisces about nearly choosing Stanford

          Jameis Winston considered going to Stanford before deciding on Florida State in 2012. Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
          • Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff WriterOct 19, 2016, 02:45 PM ET
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              Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL at ESPN since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In his 10 years with the company, Nick has led ESPN's coverage of the Niners' 2019 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick's protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam's subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team's relocation and stadium saga. You can follow Nick via Twitter @nwagoner
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          SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- To hear Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston tell it, he very nearly chose nearby Stanford over Florida State when he was coming out of Hueytown (Alabama) High.

          "Stanford is a great school," Winston said on a conference call with 49ers reporters. “You are who you place yourself around and I would’ve loved the opportunity to go to Stanford and be with some of my friends out there.”

          Winston said linebacker Noor Davis and safety Drew Madhu were among his friends who spent time playing at Stanford.

          Of course, Winston's decision to spurn the Cardinal for the Seminoles turned out just fine for him as he went on to win the Heisman Trophy and lead Florida State to the national championship in 2013. He did have some off-field issues, though, including allegations of sexual assault and a shoplifting incident involving crab legs. The Bucs took Winston with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft.

          As Winston and his team prepare to play the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on Sunday, Winston reminisced a little about going through his college choices and sounded a bit wistful about what might have been different had he elected to spend his college years in Palo Alto, California.

          Winston made it sound as if he didn't quite understand how strong Stanford was from an academic perspective.

          “It was me just really not knowing how prestigious Stanford was," Winston said. "I look back all the time and see how if I’d gone to Stanford, which way my life could’ve turned. But, you know, you make decisions and you go with them and you own them.”

          At the time, Winston's decision came close to national signing day and he eagerly awaited word on whether he would clear Stanford's more rigorous standard for admission. Winston recounted Stanford coach David Shaw calling him in January 2012 to tell him he'd been accepted. He took a final visit to Palo Alto, but ultimately opted to stay a bit closer to home.

          “When I got accepted into Stanford, me and my family were excited,” Winston said. “I actually took my visit out there to make my final decision. When I came out to Palo Alto, I was blown away. But I decided to go to FSU.”