BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The football program at Miles College is getting a boost thanks to a donation from Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston.
Winston, a Hueytown, Alabama, native, on Wednesday presented Miles College President Bobbie Knight and Athletic Director Reginald Ruffin a check for $50,000, which will be used for upgrades within the Alabama school’s program, WBRC-TV reported.
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“I am so honored to support Miles College,” Winston said. “Although I did not attend Miles College, we’ve had a longstanding relationship that has allowed me to touch the lives of thousands of youth from Birmingham and around the country. Miles has always had a special place in my heart because my mom is an alumna of this prestigious HBCU.”
Winston, the Heisman Trophy winner who led Florida State’s football team to a national championship and ultimately became the No. 1 selection in the 2015 National Football League draft, has built his own relationship with Miles over the past five years, hosting his Dream Foundation Football Camp at the school since 2016.
“Having someone of Jameis’ stature selflessly contribute to our growth here at Miles gives credence to what we are trying to accomplish, which is to give our student-athletes the best collegiate experience possible,” Knight said.
Earlier this month, former NBA Hall of Fame basketball player Charles Barkley donated $1 million to the school, a private historically black liberal arts college in Fairfield, Alabama.