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"I have nothing to prove," he said. "I believe that people make mistakes but I also believe that you bounce back from those and I'm just moving forward."
And although he recognizes Winston may endure more scrutiny than other players, Smith said every pro athlete is under a microscope and should be accountable for their behavior.
He did a lot of that on Friday.
"All of us are in spotlights," he said. "We're the one percent of athletes who make it to the pros. We're going to be scrutinized in our worst times, praised in our best times. It comes with the territory. We just got to live with it."
And he plans to smile while doing it.
Winston will stay active on social media, while others are more wary of potential dangers. Earlier this week,Cheap Arizona Coyotes Hoodies, No. 2 pick Marcus Mariota said he won't bother with Twitter or any other online platform.
Winston isn't going to hide.
BEREA,Billy Price Jersey, Ohio (AP) — Jameis Winston knows there are always eyes on him — watching, dissecting and waiting for him to make a mistake.
"You can only be yourself. What people put out there on social media is just whatever. But I am just trying to be a better person and live life, and that's all," he said. "I mean social media can help you in so many ways, from a positive standpoint. I can't control what people put on social media about me, but I can control my actions and what I do."
Winston and the NFC's other drafted rookies got a break from their four-day symposium — a league-run orientation program designed to help players transition to the pros — by playing with school-aged children on Cleveland Browns training fields. While the youngsters ran pass routes, bumped into blocking pads and tossed footballs into garbage cans, Winston seemed to be the biggest kid on the field.
He led the boys and girls in cheers, handed out high-fives and advice and taught the kids how to put some touch on a pass or fire a rocket.
Winston is trying to move on from a celebrated and checkered college career at Florida State, where he won a Heisman Trophy and led the Seminoles to a national championship but also brought himself and the school shame for multiple off-field incidents,NBA Jerseys Store, including a rape accusation that was dismissed after prosecutors cited problems with a police investigation.
Winston was clearly in his element inside the field's white-chalked borders. It was when he has ventured off the field, out of bounds,World Baseball Classic Jerseys Outlet, that Winston has gotten into trouble.
There was the shoplifting charge for stealing crab legs from a grocery store; the suspension for jumping on a table on Florida State's campus and screaming an explicit phrase and the sexual-assault allegation in 2012. Those actions overshadowed Winston's achievements on the field, earned him a troublemaker's image and made him a target of criticism on social media.
"I just smile, man."
Several of Winston's fellow rookies said he has been one of the most engaged players this week. And despite his higher profile, he has been just one of the guys.
"Set your feet and let it rip," he told one boy. "Don't be afraid."
"He is the most high-spirited guy I've been around,WBC Jerseys," said Buccaneers offensive tackle Donovan Smith, a second-round pick from Penn State. "He's a great leader. And he likes to have fun. You're looking at us — we're 21, 22 years old. You have to think about it. We're adults, but we're still kids sometimes and we want to have fun."
While the 2015 rookie class is being lectured on professional life by former players offering their experiences, Winston can already speak to how a bad decision can be irrevocable.
"It's about my actions," the Tampa Buccaneers rookie said while attending a youth football clinic. "I got to be a quarterback. When I'm off the field, I got to be a quarterback. When I'm on the field, I've got to be a quarterback. I know people are going to look at me in each and every way.
As he embarks on his NFL career, the 21-year-old is staying positive. And while he's not hiding from his past, Winston is focused on what's in ahead, not behind him.
The spotlight doesn't leave,Paul Kariya Ducks Throwback Jersey, and Winston wants to shine in it. |
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