By Megan Macwade
Social Media Design: Maggie Johnson
Kellen Winslow II was born on July 21, 1983 in San Diego California. He is an African American man born in a family who has a legacy in football. His father is Kellen Winslow Sr, a Professional Football Hall of Famer, inducted in 1995. He retired when his son was four after nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Winslow’s mother is Katrina Ramsey.
Winslow attended high school in the state of California where he started at Patrick Henry High School and later went to Scripps Ranch High School.
Winslow Jr. was surrounded by football, but was permitted to play only when he entered high school. This led to his successful career, especially when he got to Scripps Ranch high school and began to be noticed by other players and colleges for his skill set.
When Winslow Jr. was deciding on what college to sign to, he disagreed with his father about where he would go. This caused tension since Winslow Sr. made a speech regarding race and sports when he was inducted and wanted his son to go to a college rich with minorities.
On his signing day, Winslow’s father told him he would not sign his letter of intent if he chose to go to University of Washington, where their program was bereft of minorities. In the end Kellen Winslow II decided to sign with University of Miami, where his coach was Charles Johnson. He was drafted in the 1st round of the 2004 NFL draft to the Cleveland Browns.
He had a successful football career in college. He played for the Miami team that won the BCS National Championship in 2001. He was a Heisman Trophy candidate, John Mackey Award winner (2003), , unanimous All-America (2003), All-BIG East Conference (2003).
However, during his career he made many news headlines for committing multiple crimes. These were in relation to rape, assault and indecent exposure.
Kellen Winslow II was convicted of forcible rape, indecent exposure and lewd conduct, he received a sentence of 14 years in state prison. He was accused and convicted in part for the rape of a 54-year-old woman, identified as Jane Doe 1, which took place on March 17, 2018 when she was hitchhiking in Encinitas.
Winslow was also charged with raping two other women, the incidents being 15 years apart. One women, identified as Jane Doe 4 who was 17 years old when he raped her at a party in 2003. Winslow was 19 years old and attending the University of Miami. At another party the same month, Jane Doe 4 was raped at a townhouse while she was unconscious. She woke up to the assault happening and claims that it was Winslow’s friend who forced him to stop. In other words, Winslow likely raped Jane Doe 4 on two separate occasions.
He also pleaded guilty to the rape of a 58-year-old homeless woman in May 2018, exposing himself to a 59-year-old women while she was home working in her garden, and making lewd gestures toward a 77-year-old woman at the gym on two separate occasions. In 2018 he broke into the homes of two women, ages 86 and 71, with the intent of rape, though the charges were dismissed pre-trial.
Gender-based violence within sports often brings up the examination of “worth”, which is important in Winslow’s case. Due to his popularity and importance in the sports world, there is more value put on the athlete in comparison with the victims. Teammates and coaches of Winslow talk about how they knew of inappropriate behavior shown by Winslow, such as masturbating or watching pornography with others in the room. This behavior was covered and accommodated, while coaches tried to mentor Winslow out of his juvenile behavior.
Due to his large following and success in sports, Winslow was allowed to attempt to excuse his behavior by saying he experienced chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and brain injury. This was supported by his friends and family who advocate that these injuries worsened his behavior and was the explanation for why his multiple crimes occurred. There was an attempt to say that the #MeToo Movement, that was happening during his trial, was impacting the judges views and causing an overreaction.
After his conviction in 2021 of sex crimes against five women, Winslow submitted a petition from prison that argues that he is entitled to a reduced prison sentence due to brain injury he suffered from football. This was denied by Superior Court Judge Brad Weinreb, and Winslow is not eligible for parole until 2028.
References
Donahue, B. (2020, December 9). The rise and fall of Kellen Winslow Jr. (complete story). Browns Nation. https://www.brownsnation.com/kellen-winslow-jr/
Kellen Winslow. University of Miami Athletics. https://miamihurricanes.com/roster/kellen-winslow/
Kellen Winslow stats, height, weight, position, draft, college. Pro. (n.d.). https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/W/WinsKe01.htm
Klemko, R. (2019, June 13). Dark side of Kellen Winslow Jr., convicted rapist. Sports Illustrated. https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/06/13/kellen-winslow-jr-ii-crimes-rape-trial-homeless-woman-elderly
Kiss, M., Foltz, K. E., Hattery, A., Mirance, K., & Smith, E. (2024). What Is a Girl Worth?: Gender-Based Violence and Accountability in SportsWorld. Sociology of Sport Journal, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1123/ssj.2023-0135
People v. Winslow, no. D078773 | casetext search + citator. (n.d.). https://casetext.com/case/people-v-winslow-54
Schrotenboer, B. (2023, March 7). Ex-NFL player Kellen Winslow II denied by judge in bid to reduce his prison sentence. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2023/03/06/kellen-winslow-ii-prison-sentence-ex-nfl-player-denied-by-judge/11415647002/
Service, C. N., & Bravo, C. (2021, March 4). A “truly dangerous” man: Ex-NFL player Kellen Winslow II gets 14-year prison sentence in rape cases. NBC 7 San Diego. https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/ex-nfl-tight-end-kellen-winslow-ii-set-for-14-year-prison-sentence/2537718/