Former Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston’s story explanation about receiving free Publix food has been corroborated by NFL investigators, according to Bleacher Report’s Mike Freeman. But Publix is also disputing that claim, per USA Today.

Winston originally took heat for stealing crab legs from the store, but recently told Jim Harbaugh on ESPN that he received the food free of charge from a store employee.

Freeman said he asked an NFL general manager about the incident.

“Our investigators found several Publix employees who corroborated what Winston said. Winston told this story to our team and I believe others. We were able to determine that he was telling the truth. I won’t get into more detail than that. “Should Winston have taken free food? No, of course not. But college football stars, at every campus in America, get free stuff. They all do. Every single one. “We feel like Winston was wrong but he’s part of an overall college system where this happens daily. My personal opinion is that on this issue, and this issue alone, he was hung out to dry.”

At the same time, Maria Brous, Publix’s director of media and community relations, said the store conducted its own investigation and came to a different conclusion.

"When we conducted the original investigation with the store associates and management both, we found no information that would corroborate the story that there was any arrangement for Jameis or any other FSU athlete to get any product for free. “There was no information that would lead us to believe that any of our associates were involved in giving away product,” Brous said.

