Jameis Winston Thrilled After Meeting With Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Having led Florida State University to a national championship in 2013 and being an overall staple of the South Florida football scene, Winston Jameis going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers makes sense.
The Buccs had an all-day meeting with Winston on Tuesday to determine whether the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner is worthy of using their No. 1 pick on in the 2015 NFL Draft. The Buccaneers website says the star quarterback had breakfast with coach Lovie Smith on Tuesday morning, followed by a lengthy conversation with general manager Jason Licht. Afterwards, Winston excitedly spoke about the prospect of continuing to play football in Florida, starting his pro career in Tampa Bay.
"Being able to play three years in Florida, I would love to stay here in this great state," Winston told the Bucs' website Tuesday. "I've just got to take advantage of this blessing. It's not really important to me to be the first pick, but it is important to me to be picked. I believe that I have been blessed during my years at Florida State to win a national championship and just be a winning quarterback. And I believe this place — I would love to be here.
"I just want them to know that I am human and I'm a great person," Winston added. "This smile isn't fake. I just want to show them that I can be the face of this franchise one day. Actions speak louder than words."
Winston and former Oregon star Marcus Mariota are regarded as the top quarterback prospects entering the 2015 NFL Draft. Winston is widely regarded to have all the physical tools necessary to be an NFL star QB, but character questions off the field persist. Mariota is also expected to meet with the Buccs.
This year's NFL Draft will be held in Chicago April 30 through May 2.
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(Photo: Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
