The Pi Kappa Alpha house is the biggest on campus, built in a giant U shape, with a courtyard in the middle where members slug cheap beer and devise intricate feats of strength and skill to test their manhood and kill time. Former FSU QB EJ Manuel was a member, and so Winston would visit occasionally. He'd join in stickball games and smack tennis balls over the wall with ease -- switching from lefty to righty with each swing, just for fun. Eventually, someone mentioned the roof.
The origins of the challenge are vague, but everyone agreed it was nearly impossible. In the history of the house, only one member had successfully heaved a football over the roof from the far end of the courtyard -- a 75-yard bullet that must clear a 35-foot peak at its apex. A few years back, former FSU quarterback and first-round draft pick Christian Ponder tried it again and again, but never came close. It was the perfect scenario for the ultra-competitive Winston.
"They said a guy had done it," Winston said. "I just said, 'I've got to throw it farther.'"
So out they scrambled, Winston and a cadre of fraternity members, spilling into the courtyard to watch the legend add to his mythology.
The first throw smacked the crown of the roof, and Winston laughed. "No problem," he assured as fraternity member Austin Burr whipped out his cell phone. The next throw cleared the top with ease. The crowd erupted.