The AAU Sullivan Award has been given out since 1930 to the nation's best amateur athlete and Winston is among a group of 33 collegiate athletes, world champions, gold medalists and national champions selected as semifinalists.
The AAU James E. Sullivan Award annually recognizes the outstanding amateur athlete whose outstanding athletic accomplishments are complemented by qualities of leadership, character and sportsmanship. Winners achieve great success on a national and/or international stage through competition in collegiate athletics, Olympic pursuit or similar high profile competitions. Presented by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), the AAU Sullivan Award symbolizes the fostering of a community of respected amateur athletes whose example provides a great model to our AAU athlete.
Winston has been a leader for the Michigan State men's basketball program since stepping foot on the campus in 2016, both on and off the floor, in the classroom and in the community.
A two-time captain for the Spartans, Winston ranks among the top-10 all-time in scoring at Michigan State and earlier this year broke a 20-year record, becoming the all-time leader in assists both at Michigan State and in the Big Ten Conference. Winston earned a slew of honors as a junior while leading Michigan State to the program’s eighth Final Four in 21 years, as well as the Big Ten Tournament Championship and the Big Ten Regular Season title. Winston was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, was a consensus Second Team All-American and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA East Regional.
This year, Winston captained and led the Spartans to their third-straight Big Ten Regular Season title following the passing of his younger brother, Zachary, in November.
A native of Detroit, Winston graduated from Michigan State in three years, earning his bachelor's degree in advertising management. Winston has returned to MSU for his senior year and is currently pursuing a master's degree in sport coaching and leadership, and he carries a 3.0 grade-point average. Off the floor, Winston has been a fixture in his community, both on campus and in his hometown. He has taken part in the Miracle League of Mid-Michigan Accessible Trick-or-Treat at a local hospital each year, participated in Habitat Thru Humanity with MSU Athletics and has been an activist for heart screenings for students at the Heilmann Community Center in Detroit.
Previous winners of the AAU Sullivan Award include Wilma Rudolph (1961), Bill Bradley (1965), Mark Spitz (1970), Bill Walton (1973), Carl Lewis (1981), Joan Benoit (1985), Janet Evans (1989), Peyton Manning (1997), Michael Phelps (2003) and Tim Tebow (2007),
Older than The Heisman (1935), the AAU Sullivan Award honors the outstanding amateur athlete in the United States. It has been presented annually by the AAU since 1930 as a salute to founder and past president of the Amateur Athletic Union, and a pioneer in amateur sports, James E. Sullivan. Based on the qualities of leadership, character, sportsmanship, and the ideals of amateurism, the AAU Sullivan Award goes far beyond athletic accomplishments and honors those who have shown strong moral character.