New details have emerged about the Uber ride in Arizona in March 2016 that led to Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston's three-game suspension to start the upcoming season, including the fact that Winston was in a car that night with a former Vanderbilt football player now serving a 15-year prison sentence for aggravated rape and sexual battery.
ESPN first reported that the alleged third passenger, unnamed by Winston and his FSU teammate Ronald Darby, was Brandon Banks, a friend of Darby's who was training in Arizona and rode with Winston and Banks in an Uber with a female driver to a club on the night in question.
Banks' attorney, Mark Scruggs, said to the Tampa Bay Times on Friday night that Winston was in bad enough condition at that club that a second Uber was called to take him home, and he left in that car alone with another female driver.
"It appeared that Winston was trying to lay this on Brandon," Scruggs said in his reason for stepping forward. "They were together that night. They took an Uber to a club, the three of them did, and Brandon said nothing whatsoever happened while the three of them were in the Uber. ... For whatever reason, they felt they needed to put him, escort him into an Uber so he could go home on his own. There's two different Uber rides is what we're talking about."
This would explain the discrepancy between the driver's account of Winston as her only passenger, and Winston and Darby testifying that there were three passengers. Winston did not make any reference to a second ride in defending himself when the allegations first came out in November.
Why would Winston, who had faced public allegations of sexual assault while in college at Florida State, be hanging out with another football player who was facing rape charges at the time in 2016? Scruggs said Banks had been friends with Darby since they played at rival high schools in Maryland; he said he would only characterize Winston as an "acquaintance" of Banks.
Winston and Darby have their own history together, as Darby and FSU teammate Chris Casher both witnessed the sexual encounter that led to Erica Kinsman of Zephyrhills accusing Winston of rape in 2012.
Messages left with Winston's attorney were not immediately returned Friday night. A Bucs spokesman said general manager Jason Licht and head coach Dirk Koetter are both on vacation and unavailable for comment.
Banks was found guilty for his role in the gang rape of a female Vanderbilt student in 2013. He is appealing to have a new trial, and Scruggs said he was allowed to be in Arizona in 2016 while the charges were still pending.
Scruggs said the NFL reached out to Banks in prison as part of their investigation into Winston, but he said he wouldn't speak without his attorney present, and Scruggs said the league never reached out to him.
"It appeared that Mr. Winston was trying to deflect responsibility for this," Scruggs said. "There were two different rides."
