I Was Shot And Raped By An FSU Player. I Still Cheer For The Seminoles.
Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston was in the process of driving the Seminoles 80 yards in 1:06 to win a national championship, and Ashley Witherspoon, class of '91, was getting loud.
"I was excited and proud my team was playing for a national championship," Witherspoon says. "I was on the edge of my seat, wearing garnet and gold, cheering as they marched down the field."
This put Witherspoon in the company of just about every other 'Noles backer on the planet. What separated her is that she had every reason not to root for a Florida State football team, particularly one quarterbacked by a man who had been accused of raping a fellow student.
Nineteen years ago, Witherspoon was shot, raped, and left for dead by Michael Gibson, a former Florida State running back. The state attorney handling the case was Willie Meggs, the man who two decades later decided there was insufficient evidence to file charges against Winston. Witherspoon's assailant was convicted and sentenced to six life sentences, five of which were upheld despite then-FSU coach Bobby Bowden's writing a letter of reference on Gibson's behalf.
Today, Witherspoon is a lawyer. She's married and lives in South Carolina. I spoke with her in January, and what follows are her reflections on the incident, culled from our interview.
http://deadspin.com/i-was-shot-and-raped-by-an-fsu-player-i-still-cheer-fo-1563858521
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