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Jameis Winston takes the call from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Bessemer, Ala. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers get to stress out for the next three or four years to see what really comes of the first pick of the NFL draft _ quarterback Jameis Winston of Florida State. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Winston joins Hall of Famer Lee Roy Selmon (1976), Ricky Bell (1977), Bo Jackson (1986), as well as, Vinny Testaverde (1987) — another Heisman-winning quarterback — in being picked No. 1 overall by Tampa Bay.
"One thing I don't do is live in the past and I will not be negative. I'm very optimistic about this situation," Winston said. "It's been my life-long dream to be a successful quarterback and great teammate in the NFL."
Winston, who led Florida State to a national title two years ago and finished 26-1 as the Seminoles starter, chose not to travel to Chicago for the draft. Instead, he remained in his hometown of Bessemer, Alabama, with family and friends.
"Who else has done that,Cheap NFL Jerseys China?" Brooks added. "That tells you a lot. "
In selecting Winston, the 2013 Heisman winner who a former Florida State student said sexually assaulted her though he said the sex was consensual and was never charged or arrested, the Bucs passed on 2014 Heisman winner Marcus Mariota. The Oregon standout was the other quarterback under consideration for the top pick.
The GM said he fielded calls until just before the pick, but was not tempted to part with the top spot.
Winston played in the Derrick Brooks Celebrity Classic on Monday, a tournament that also attracted Hall of Famers Deion Sanders, Larry Little, Ted Hendricks, Marcus Allen, John Randle and Jerome Bettis. Three weeks ago, he was in town for a golf event for Mike Alstott's foundation.
Myrtle Winston, grandmother, left, Jameis Winston, and little brother Jonah Winston watch as they make the announcement for the selection of the 2015 NFL Draft, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Bessemer, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
James Winston reacts to learning he is the first pick in the NFL draft Thursday, April 30, 2015 in Bessemer, Ala. Winston was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (AP Photo/Hal Yeager)
The team paved the way for Winston to become the starter immediately, releasing veteran Josh McCown and hiring former Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter to install a system the team hopes will give the young quarterback a chance to flourish.
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Winston didn't wait for confirmation of the team's intentions before getting familiar with the Tampa Bay area, participating in a pair of charity golf events hosted by former Bucs who extended invitations to the quarterback.
Brooks, who spent his entire NFL career with Tampa Bay, was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year. He is a former FSU star, a member of the school's board of trustees and among those who feel the young quarterback deserves an opportunity to show he's a better person than many perceive him to be.
Jameis Winston poses with a Tamp Bay Buccaneers cap and NFL football after he was selected as the number one draft pick, Thursday, April 30,Cheap NBA Store, 2015, in Bessemer, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
The Bucs spent their entire 2014 draft, their first under Smith and Licht, on offensive players, yet still ranked 25th in passing, 29th in scoring and 30th in total offense last season.
James Winston reacts with his grandmother Myrtle Winston to learning he is the first pick in the NFL draft Thursday,NFL Jerseys China, April 30, 2015 in Bessemer, Ala. Winston was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (AP Photo/Hal Yeager)
The Bucs coming off a 2-14 season, in which they posted their worst record in 28 years and finished last in the NFC South for the fourth straight year.
"I know there are a lot of things that have been said about him. He's made some mistakes that a lot of young people make from time to time when they're young," Smith said. "I definitely don't think I see a pattern. ... I trust my instincts on people to know who we're getting."
"If he wasn't a good guy, we wouldn't have used the first pick on him," Licht said.
Licht insisted the team, while impressed with both Winston and Mariota, would wait until the last minute to finalize its decision in case another club stepped up offering a trade he and Smith couldn't refuse.
"He's a champion. He's a leader. He's a winner. He's got tremendous football character, tremendous intelligence and work ethic," the GM added. "His work ethic is one thing that really, really put him over the top for us."
Jameis Winston poses with a Tampa Bay Buccaneers cap and NFL football after he was selected as the number one draft pick, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Bessemer, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
James Winston reacts with his grandmother Myrtle Winston to learning he is the first pick in the NFL draft Thursday, April 30, 2015 in Bessemer, Ala. Winston was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (AP Photo/Hal Yeager)
"We didn't actually tell him until we called him (Thursday night), but I think along the way he got a sense that this could work," Smith said. "He could see how we felt about him."
"Time will tell,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping," Brooks said, adding that he was impressed that Winston sought a face-to-face meeting with NFL commissioner in the weeks leading up to the draft.
The Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback was selected with the first overall pick in the NFL draft on Thursday night, instantly becoming the face of a franchise that missed the playoffs the past seven seasons and hasn't won a postseason game since the club's Super Bowl run in 2002.
Smith and Licht said repeatedly over the past two months that they were comfortable with the prospect of taking Winston,Wholesale Adidas Hockey Jerseys, who also generated negative headlines for shoplifting crab legs from a supermarket. Last season he was suspended for one game after climbing onto a table in the FSU student union and shouting an obscenity.
Winston isn't concerned about high expectations. He thrived on them in college.
"The challenge is just being an NFL player, period. I'm not worried about any off-the-field situations or even on-the-field situations," he said. "I'm just worried about living this new lifestyle and just developing into a great man for the Tampa Bay community for my teammates,cheap jerseys from china, because it's all for them and it's all for the success of this franchise."
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The struggling Tampa Bay Buccaneers are counting on Jameis Winston to help them become relevant again.
The prospect of not playing up to expectations hasn't crossed Winston's mind.
James Winston reacts to learning he is the first pick in the NFL draft Thursday, April 30, 2015 in Bessemer, Ala. Winston was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. (AP Photo/Hal Yeager)
The Bucs haven't made the playoffs since 2007 and have gone through three coaching changes and eight different starting quarterbacks since then, including Josh Freeman, a first-round draft pick in 2009.
The Glazer family, which owns the team, also was on record for weeks as being comfortable with the organization's vetting process, which included Winston's daylong visit to One Buccaneer Place in early March.
Jameis Winston puts on a Tampa Bay Buccaneers cap as it is announced that he was selected as the number one draft pick while family and friends celebrate, Thursday, April 30, 2015, in Bessemer, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Coach Lovie Smith and Jason Licht made the call, concluding after months of interviews and exhaustive research that Winston not only can be the answer to team's offensive woes, but that the 21-year-old has learned from off-the-field mistakes that threatened to undermine his stock in the draft. |
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