People are finally coming around on Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston. Maybe it’s his on-field work ethic, off-field community efforts or overall personality, but a lot of people are finally seeing the real Jameis. Just check the latest update on NFL jersey sales rankings for a little proof.
When the Buccaneers selected Jameis Winston with the first pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the fan base saw a divide. There was the crowd that loved the pick and jumped on the hype train immediately. On the other side, there were fans who wanted Marcus Mariota and just couldn’t fathom the idea of rooting for Winston. There were fans actively rooting for the former Florida State quarterback to fail. At this point in his career, though, he has managed to turn that around. To a lot of his supporters, including myself, that’s no surprise at all.
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In the latest jersey sales report from Dick’s Sporting Goods, Winston came in as the No. 31 best-selling jersey in the league. He jumped 35 spots from the last report and is now No. 24 among offensive players. That leaves him ahead of Andrew Luck, Matt Ryan, Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees and Derek Carr. Do jersey sales serve as the ultimate likability measuring stick? No, but they do mean something. Judging by these rankings, and the big jump from the last report, Winston’s popularity is growing. That shouldn’t be surprising, really, as No. 3 has the personality of a star and looked like a star-in-the-making from the first time he stepped on the field for Florida State.
The rise in Winston’s popularity could be a result of the exposure he is getting on HBO’s Hard Knocks, as ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine pointed out here. That would make a whole lot of since considering the fact that he is one of the show’s main focuses. And really, this is just another added bonus of the Bucs being featured on HBO this summer. A wider base of football fans get to know the team and its players, which can develop into fandom, respect or just plain interest. People are getting to see Tampa Bay’s franchise quarterback shine and from the looks of it, they’re liking what they’re seeing.
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What’s not to like about Winston? For a guy who was given the “character concerns” label, he has been nothing but a model citizen since coming to Tampa. Off the field, he does great work in the community. On the field, he works tirelessly to be the best. After practice, you can find him putting in extra work before spending time with fans in attendance. His leadership ability is second-to-none. On top of all of that, his personality is infectious. At heart, “Famous Jameis” is just a big kid. He gets to play football for a living, and you can just tell how much he appreciates it. Through all of the negativity, he continues to smile and work hard. As a longtime fan of his, the fact that people are finally seeing that is a great thing.
Sure, he still has his detractors. He still has people rooting for him to fail while making unoriginal jokes about crab legs. Those folks can do as they please, but everyone else is coming around. Everyone else is seeing what Winston is all about. The best thing about this? He’s still only 23 years old. He still has areas where he needs to improve, but watching that process is already a treat. It should continue to be for years to come.
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The Buccaneers have a true franchise quarterback for the first time ever. Isn’t it great, Bucs fans? All that’s next is some sustained success on the field and consistent playoff contention.