Jameis Winston Narrowly Misses NFL Top 100
By James Yarcho
His rookie season was definitely a special one, but Jameis Winston barely missed being named in the NFL’s Top 100, much to the surprise of some players.
It’s hard to argue the immediate impact Jameis Winston had on the Buccaneers in his first season, but his impact went beyond just the Bucs. It was felt throughout the NFL as players were in awe of some of the things he was able to do and accomplish in such a short time.
Brandon Graham, defensive end of the Philadelphia Eagles spoke to the NFL Network about Winston’s spot;
"“James Winston. We gotta throw him in the top 100, huh? Quarterbacks are always top 100.”"
Jameis, on the other hand, didn’t see himself as a top 100 player…yet.
"“Not this year. I don’t know when. But I’m gonna try. I’m gonna try.”"
Teammate Gerald McCoy, despite the advice he gave Winston earlier in the year, was blown away by the quarterback’s poise and leadership at such a young age;
"“I tried to tell him to calm down, man. I said ‘listen, you’re a rookie. Just go out and enjoy bein a rookie. Just be the best Tampa Bay Buccaneer quarterback you can be.’ He said, ‘nuh-uh. That’s not me. I lead. That’s what I do’. Ever since he set foot in that door…I remember in the offseason, somebody had jumped and it wasn’t even his group and he said ‘If they runnin’, I’m runnin.’ And he hopped up and ran with the group. It’s just who he is, man. It’s in his blood. I’m happy he’s on our side.”"
Winston, almost immediately, was the unquestioned leader of this team. He took the reigns and never looked back. A lot of that is why so many fans who were hesitant to accept Jameis couldn’t deny any longer that this is, in fact, his team.
Ricky Jean-Francois was adamant about Winston deserving a spot in the top 100;
"“I understand he’s a rookie, but that’s one guy that’s gotta be in the top 100. He’s gotta…I don’t know where he’d be ranked, I don’t want to say his number or anything like that, but I know that’s one player that’s gotta be on there.A lot of people said that because he’s a rookie, he’s gonna do rookie things, but that man is past his time. You would think a rookie quarterback is gonna stand still. He never stood still. He was just movin and movin and movin and movin.Usually a rookie quarterback will just stand there and we can start teeing off on him. This cat would not just stand in one spot.”"
Florida State teammate and division rival Davonta Freeman knows Winston as well as anyone;
"“His mentality is to win. Day in and day out, I know what type of competitor he is. The type of hard worker he is. He’s one of those type of guys that ‘I will not be denied’.As far as the future? Jameis Winston definitely gonna be on the top 100.”"
Opposing defenders weren’t shy about praising the 21-year old quarterback, either. Telvin Smith of the Jaguars is a big fan;
"“Salute to Jameis, man, I love ’em. I was a fan of him in college, so to see him then and to see him now and the growth that has taken place. Stepping up in the lead and being what everybody said they don’t think he is, this and that? He’s stepping up and doing everything he needs to do.”"
Will Blackmon of the Redskins;
"“He’s a really bright player, knows how to lead.He threw one ball on me, I was covering Mike Evans, he threw the heck outta that ball. I thought it was gonna come to me and it kept sailin’. Dang, he threw a rocket. I just think he can make every throw.”"
Teammate and someone who is sure to be Winston’s top target for years to come, Mike Evans, knows how special Jameis is;
"“Young guy, comin in like that, nothin is gonna stop him. When he gets older, and he understands the game more, things like that? He’s gonna be hard to contain.”"
Of course, Jameis’ standout play last season was his 3rd-and-18 scramble for a first down against the Falcons. Gerald McCoy has fond memories of that play;
"“That was filthy, that’s what I like to call it. Just…nasty.”"
Jameis won’t have to wait long to appear on this list or to work his way up to one of the upper-echelon quarterbacks in this league at the rate he is going. But, maybe Lavonte David said it best;
Next: Which Way Will Winston Trend In 2016?
"“It’s amazing when you see it out there in person. Sky is the limit for Jameis, man. He’s a great quarterback, a great kid, man. I’m very prod of him.”"