← Bussin' With The Boys
Bussin' With The Boys
Best of the Bus: Jameis Winston Talks Adversity & Development Throughout Career
00:44:11
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- [00:00]
Podcast Host (iHeart Intro)
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.
- [00:05]
Jameis Winston
All right.
- [00:05]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
Welcome to Busting with the Boys. We have an awesome guest, Jamis Winston. Florida State Seminole Buccaneer, New Orleans Saints, Cleveland Browns, bro. Thank you for coming on the show.
- [00:18]
Jameis Winston
I.
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Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
You got massive fans all over the place with. With Busting with the Boys, man.
- [00:22]
Jameis Winston
It's on. And privilege to be here. I'm on. These greatness. This greatness.
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Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Did you. When you're coming out of college and the whole crab leg things happen, who's gonna be first? You were Kiss. Like, I feel like there was a dip in, like, oh, this guy. Like, maybe people weren't appreciating your personality. You flip over. It's been 10 years now. You are like, the media darling. I watch you at media days on Monday. The way you set up the joke for what's your favorite color to Chris Jones, the way, like, the comedic timing, the. The. How authentic you are. Like, talking to Will. He was at Barstow. We have never actually met, like, face, face. Maybe maybe one time, like, after a game. Yeah, but hearing that, like, you're the same guy, like, at any point throughout your career where you're like, do I need to be a little more like the model student these teams want me to be, or did you never waver in who you were as a person?
- [01:09]
Jameis Winston
Well, when I first got to Tampa, I think, like, that was the compromise that I first made, like, just trying to get out of the. Get out of the. The media as public enemy number one. Like, because I wanted people to really see who I truly was. So I invested time in the community. I invested a lot of time with my teammates, and I always consider myself, like, a people pleaser. But that wasn't necessarily me at that time in Tampa because I was just like, man, I'm so focused on me as the person. But when you're a good person, you don't have to try to be a good person. And I put so much thought, energy, and so much time and effort into, like, oh, man, I gotta show these people that I'm not who they think I am, you know? But at the end of the day, it's not actually. It's not you are not who you think you are, but what you think you are. So it's putting my energy toward, like, man, my play toward, like, developing a family. Spending more, like, in Tampa, that was my young days, you know? So, like, I'm in a new city, you know, it's living young, wild, and free. But at the same time, I have a girlfriend that's Living in Texas, you know, so I'm trying to manage that relationship and. And also focus on my dream, focus on winning the super bowl, focus on being the best quarterback and teammate I can possibly be, and focus on being the best man that I possibly can be without the limitations and perception that others had of me at that time.
- [02:26]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
When you are stripping those things off, like, talk about what it was like for you, becoming a professional, when you're around guys in the league that have been around a long time, like, I'm thinking of Tampa, you're around, like, levante David, Gerald McCoy, Mike Evans, like, guys who are becoming pros. Because when you come out, you've been a dual threat quarterback. You've been the man since high school. You've obviously made your rounds in the headlines when you were in college, and when you get drafted, you're going to Tampa. Like, talk about what it was like for you, becoming that pro, stripping yourself of the, you know, the past and everything else and the perceptions that people had about you, like, becoming that ultimate pro that you're supposed to be in the NFL.
- [03:00]
Jameis Winston
Yeah. Well, one thing that a wise person shared with me, Joe Theisman, and we had a tough conversation at the Walter Camp Award, and we're talking about just, like, I was just explaining to him, like, man, Joe, like, that's not me. Like, what you'd heard about me on tv, like, that's not me. Like, I'm a Southern boy from Alabama. I respect my elders. I respect everyone that I encounter with. Like, that's just how I was born and raised. And he was like, James, he's like, I can tell. Look in your eyes. I can tell that's not you. But I want you to understand what this business is and what public perception is. Perception is reality. So instead of you telling me or instead of you forcing people to. To like you, or instead of you trying to convince somebody who you are, people are going to believe what they want to believe. So you should just do that consistently day in and day out. He said, the more that you do that, it's going to come out who you truly are. He's like, because you can't hide truth. Truth is eventually going to come out to the light. But in terms of veterans like Jerry McCoy, another veteran that really helped me was Lewis Murphy, because he had a chance to be in Oakland and Carolina around Cam noon, Derek Carr and guys like that. Levonte David, just his poise, his presence in the Tampa community. Another big one that y' all probably remember his name, Clint McDonald, like, just just a true man of faith. I had the opportunity to go to, like, you know, when you young, you trying to go to every event that your teammate has.
- [04:25]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Absolutely.
- [04:26]
Jameis Winston
So I. The first time I went to Little Rock, Arkansas, was to one of his charity events for his foundation with his family, and just seeing him as a man with his girls and his wife. And I took my. My girlfriend at the time, now wife, and that was one of the changing points in my. In my life in terms of, like, my commitment and my love and my consistency with my wife. In terms of, like, when I saw that him representing his foundation, people in his city coming to support him, I understood, like, man, like, I know it's bigger than me, and I have a partner who I can support and who I can help lead to grow with me, to be involved with all these great things in community, family brands. Like, all that stuff became important to me because I saw this man, Clint McDonald, religiously. We went to a football camp, he had a golf tournament. But who he was in his community, I'm just like, man, this is me to my community. But what he's displaying with his wife, with his kids, in front of his family is that consistency that. That. That foundation, and that's something that I'm chasing. So when I was in Little Rock, Arkansas, I was like, man, like, this is who I'm going to be. And, like, I'm not wavering from this. Like, I'm going to be intentional with my wife. Like, I'm. I'm going to get that fix. Like, we not be about to be going back and forth. Like, I'm going to be intentional with. With what I want to do, how I want to serve my community, how I want to impact the younger generation. And obviously, I feel like ball has always been on the top of my mind because that's something that we all have tried to perfect along our journey anyway.
- [06:02]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Yeah, you talk about the ball being a top of mind, like NFL stands for, not for long in so many ways. Like, you only have a finite amount of years to accomplish what your childhood dream was. How do you find balance when you get home?
- [06:15]
Jameis Winston
Well, you find balance by being all in on every stage. And again, one of my biggest growth stages as well in 2019, where I got around Clyde Christensen, who coached Peyton. And, you know, Peyton studied like no. Like no other. And Clyde, he was like, I was the first person to really encourage him, like, hey, man, like, what you do in this building is what you do in this building. But once you go home, you need to go home. And be that same caliber, studier, same present person, same leader to your family. And I was like, okay, so one thing that we did, we started developing a plan. I never really had a plan, right? Like, I had my offseason plan, but my in season plan was, you know, studying watching four games on, on Monday, Tuesday, getting an early beat on third downs and watching some more of the rundowns. But I never written it down to what I was specifically, specifically going to do. So I wasn't really holding myself accountable to the things that I was doing to prepare. I was preparing, I was landing on the line, but it wasn't strategized.
- [07:16]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
You're like checking a box and you're like, oh, watch these four games. Boom. I watched the four games. Watch a little bit. Third down. Okay, I now know third down as opposed to being intended.
- [07:23]
Jameis Winston
Right. I never put thought energy into the preparation side of it. I just did it because I loved it and I knew what was required to be a successful quarterback. And I knew I couldn't go out there unprepared. But I never thought that me actually sitting down with my quarterback coach, planning what I am going to do, how much accountability that brings. Because I'm saying, like, if I'm going to write this down in freaking. In June, what I'm going to do in the months of September, October, November and December, that's a level of commitment to, like, doing those things and making sure that you actually are being those things and not just saying, oh, I wrote this down just to write it for the love of the game.
- [08:01]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Seems easy to check boxes for sure.
- [08:03]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
Just so you know, feel the energy of Jamis already in this room and.
- [08:07]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
It lifts you up.
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Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
Yeah, it does.
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Jameis Winston
Like, he's truly.
- [08:09]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
He's the rising tide that is lifting our ship.
- [08:11]
Jameis Winston
Yeah, yeah. I appreciate y', all, but I'm on the boat with y'. All.
- [08:14]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
Hey, I've been seeing you getting in the mix. Yeah, I've been seeing you getting in the mix. You had something you were, you know, Taylor was talking about earlier, but hitting media days on behalf of Fox Sports, you've been going on pods, like, do you ever get fascinated by the things outside of football? Because we all. Eventually the game comes for us all. Do you see yourself doing something like. Something like that after football, Man, I.
- [08:35]
Jameis Winston
Consider myself a man of increase. So whatever I can do to uplift people, uplift a brand, uplift a company, I'm gonna do it. But right now, like, man, my main goal, like my contingency plan is nonexistent My main goal is to be a Super bowl winning, starring quarterback in this NFL league. And, like, do you know the time, the effort, the dedication and preparation that that entails that, you know, obviously my charisma, who I am, like, that's gonna remain the same. That's my foundation, because my faith, that's who I am. I'm imitating Christ, so. So I know, like, that's gonna remain the same. But my dream is to lead my team to the super bowl, and I still haven't done that yet. And I can't. I will not allow myself to be still in this business, still have opportunities and not put. Dedicate my time and energy to assisting, serving, or helping my team reach that goal.
- [09:30]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Yeah, it's an impossible game to be half in and half out about, especially as a starting quarterback. When you look at, like, the position you were in this year, desean Watson, he gets hurt. You come in, we go up, we go down. We're kind of moving around a little bit, but you're slinging the ball everywhere.
- [09:43]
Jameis Winston
Yeah.
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Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Are you looking at guys like Baker Mayfield who's, you know, went to the Browns, people kind of cursed him out of the building. He gets out of there, and now he's like, kind of reset himself and calibrate himself in Tampa as a starting quarterback. Like, what quarterbacks? Are you watching me? Like, I need to imitate this to take the next step for that so I can achieve the goal you were just talking about.
- [10:00]
Jameis Winston
Yeah, honestly, the quarterbacks that I've been watching this offseason has been Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson, because I think they do a good job of limiting their own critical errors. And sometimes with that play, you don't see, early on in both their careers, you see the flashy. They show you they can make a play when it's time to make a play. But sometimes they play games where you're just like, man, they have took 18 consecutive checkdowns. And I think that's the part of my game where I have to really master. I know I can win a shootout. I know I can go out there and.
- [10:31]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
And throw for 500.
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Jameis Winston
Surgically sling that, surgically dissect any defense that comes my way. But now the key to my game, to me actually elongating my career, is winning football games and protecting our team. To the best of Bill.
- [10:48]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
I can definitely from an operations standpoint, is what you're talking about. Talk to me, dude. Explain to me Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. I've been a little negative on Russell Wilson. He had A nice couple of weeks in the middle of the season with the Steelers. But Aaron, for you to bring up those two names like Aaron didn't have a great year. Like the jets were back on the super bowl, contending, they were having a parade in May. Yeah, when he's, when he's coming back and it doesn't work out that way. Why those two quarterbacks?
- [11:10]
Jameis Winston
Well, those two quarterbacks, specifically because I think they do a good job of having a plan for the game and they might not have 500 yards in the first half, they might have 80 yards but they know when to turn it on and when to turn it off. And no, they didn't have like Russ probably didn't finish the way that he wanted to finish. But if you watch the course of his games, man, he is managing the game and is in complete control of what he wants to do. Same thing with Aaron. Yeah, he has some ups and downs. He didn't have the year that he wanted to have. But still throughout the consistency of his play, week in and week out is protecting the team. He plays that like I call it, I call it selfishly thinking about yourself. Like they play in a way where like man, I'm not thinking about my stats. I'm trying to see like I'm not going to mess it up. I'm gonna let the other team mess it up. And then when it's time for me to make a play, I have the God given ability to go out there and execute and make that play.
- [12:05]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Right. That's what you're basically what you're saying is knowing when to turn it on and turn it off.
- [12:08]
Jameis Winston
Yeah.
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Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
All right, talk, talk about the mental game. Like when you are out there slinging it one week and then you have the pixes. I think you had a couple pick sixes on like Monday night.
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Jameis Winston
Yeah.
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Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
Like when you, you hear the rumblings of you and interceptions. Like talk about the mental game. Do you ever get caught up and turning the ball over when you have all these touchdowns one week, you turn the ball over next. Talk about like being able to separate. Separate yourself, zoom out, give yourself perspective, give yourself gratitude. Because just as athletes you just know that it is a constant mental game. Like when you are playing.
- [12:39]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Have you, Basically what I was asking is have you ever brought a book on the sidelines to read between series?
- [12:43]
Jameis Winston
Never, never, never in my life. But I have, I have written things on my wristband like patience, precision, execution, feet. The mental game is so important because like we all know this. Like as athletes, you know, you Hear the saying, like, the game is 90% mental, 10% physical. And to a point, it's true. Because we got our God given abilities. Like, we can do this or we won't be able to do this, or you won't be in the league long, right? They do a good job of assessing talent, but I would have to credit my mental capacity in terms of handling highs and lows one with my faith journey and my knowledge of just the word of. One of my favorite verses is James 2 through 4, where it says, count it all, joy, my brothers and sisters, when you fall, when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience, endurance. But let that endurance, let that patience have its perfect work so that you can be complete, lacking nothing. Ultimately, that's what I'm trying to do in terms of intentional with that quote.
- [13:48]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
But in terms of wanting to play.
- [13:49]
Jameis Winston
A game right now, but literally in terms of my play, that's why I'm like, I know, okay, some things are going to happen, right? But when they happen, I count it as, man, I see the good in everything. I have joy in when bad things happen because now I get the opportunity to make up for it. But sometimes that gets me in trouble because I want to make up for it right then. But that's not.
- [14:13]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Start pushing the envelope.
- [14:14]
Jameis Winston
But that isn't allowing the perfect work to happen. Sometimes a good play is no play at all, right? But I view this in terms of the highs and lows. I view it from a baseball perspective. Okay? I play baseball. Y' all play baseball?
- [14:27]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
Growing up a little bit. Yeah, growing up a little bit center field.
- [14:29]
Jameis Winston
So you get in the hall of Fame. You get in the hall of Fame going one for three, right? So it's a sport that. Okay, is failure, like as a quarterback, man, what a great statistic. I want to go 22 for 28. 378 yards with four touchdowns and zero interceptions, right? 22 for 28 is perfect in baseball. If I told you, man, I went 22 for 28 this weekend with eight doubles and four home runs and three triples. That's unbelievable. But literally, baseball turns. I can go one for three and making it in the hall of Fame, that's a.300 average. So understand, like, man, it's okay to fail, but I gotta make the most of my opportunity when it's there. I gotta have a snap and clear mentality because I might have struck out this last at bat, but this at bat, I have a chance, right? And I believe that, like, you can see that in the way that I play. I go out there with the approach, like, we have a chance as long there's time on that clock. But I think I know understanding that, man, I need to play, like, for four quarters instead of just playing for that specific, specific drive. I need to play for that specific play knowing that it's going to take me four quarters to win this game instead of trying to win on that one play.
- [15:50]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
Right.
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Jameis Winston
Yeah.
- [15:51]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Yeah. You seem like just.
- [15:52]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
It's like him going back to Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson. It's like eliminating things like, hey, the game's going to come. Going one play at a time versus, hey, I got to be Superman now.
- [16:00]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Right.
- [16:00]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
In the next series.
- [16:01]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Of all the people we've talked to in the short amount of time we've been here, it's like maybe the most intentional human being we've ever spoke to.
- [16:06]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
Yeah.
- [16:06]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Or at least trying to find intention.
- [16:08]
Jameis Winston
Yeah.
- [16:08]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
In every single situation, you brought a baseball dude going one for three and being in the hall of Fame, you had, like, you were in a rare breed of athlete where you were able to play. Choose whether or not you're gonna go the baseball route or go the football route. What inevitably brought you to. I'm gonna chase my football dreams.
- [16:22]
Jameis Winston
My love for this game, my love for the game of football, my love for the position that quarterback entails, man. Like, I think when you look at a leader in general, I think the quarterback is that person that displays what true leadership is like, especially when you got a good one and when you got one that the team likes, you know what I'm saying? Because we have to literally be able to communicate to everybody in the locker room from all different walks of life, all different backgrounds. Like, we have to be the people that can get in front of our guys. And you might be from Iowa, you might be from Broward county, and we gotta make this thing work. All right? And the only way we gonna make it work is together. And that's the quarterback's role. The quarterback's role is to make all these little pieces work and go. So I take pride in that. And let me tell you, when you a PO and you watching other people hit and watch other people win games, and you over there eating seeds and chewing on Big Chew, it ain't no fun, man.
- [17:24]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Big Chew's awesome.
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Jameis Winston
You out of the action. Yeah.
- [17:28]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
I had something, but I just slipped my mind.
- [17:30]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
I got one. Before even Deshaun Watson goes down and you get your opportunity, There was even conversations before he goes down of putting Jameis in just because of the quarterback play that was happening. Walk us through this year, even before you getting to play, like, how much were you having to be patient and persevere when even you might be on that? Like, I know as a backup, somebody's not playing well, you're like itching. You're like itching for that opportunity and your time to shine. Yeah, but what was it like for you early in the year, especially when those conversations started to happen on a. It could be a move here to put Jameis Winston in the game.
- [18:02]
Jameis Winston
Yeah, man. You know, I feel like. I feel like God put me in the test last year with Derek where, man, we would go out in games and our fans, like the Saints fans, like, they booing, they booing and I'm have to sit in the meetings. And I felt like from outside looking in, Deshaun's playing like he bad or Derek playing bad, but I felt like they playing good. Because when I'm on your team, I'm there to serve you. I'm not there to serve the opinion or listen to the outside noise. I'm there to make this thing work when I tell all my teammates, like, if you not trying to be part of the solution, you not trying to win no games, I know that it's at the quarterback. It's only one person that's going to be out there. One. Everybody else. You play left tackle, you had a right tackle, there's a left guard, there's a right guard, the center, the quarterback. They're the only ones that are singular out there. You know what I'm saying? So I have to be all in of serving desean in last year's opportunity, serving Derek despite the outside noise. Now I also know that my. My opportunity is coming shortly and I have to be ready for that as well.
- [19:15]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
That is awesome.
- [19:16]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
Yeah, that is because it's tough too, because you talk about the dream, you want to lead it to a Super Bowl. Like, you hear the outside noise and everything else, but the compartmentalize it and know that if you're not part of the solution, you need to get out of the building because you're part of the problem or you're creating a problem or some toxic poison that's in that locker room, which you know it has to be eliminated if you're going to be a good football team.
- [19:35]
Jameis Winston
But Will, I started with this. What I want for myself, I want for everyone. So what if that was me? You know what I'm saying? Imagine how many people then talk stuff about me My entire life right now, they biting their tongue because they, like, over time, the truth is gonna set itself free. And I tell, I still tell Deshaun this I like, brother, listen, you may be going through a season of adversity, but I promise you, you gonna make it out of this despite public opinion, despite what, everybody's on your case right now. But if you don't give up and you just use the ability that. God. Because Deshaun Watson can play football. You know what I'm saying? A lot of people that as fans that the Twitter thumbs have, they quick to judge somebody, they quick to write somebody off. Because the game that we play in the NFL, we have the greatest game of them all. Because every single year, there are 256 odd people coming in to take our spot, that they're promoting this. They like, we are celebrating the people that's coming in to take your spot with the draft. And we gonna give them fake watches and free watches, we gonna boost up the brands, we gonna take some of your deals and give it to them. Even if they don't make it, they might not get cut the first day in, but we telling you that they coming. So in terms of our mentality, it has to remain. We gotta remain steadfast. We can't never lose sight of what we want because we know it's always going to be the next man up. It's always going to be somebody cycling around. Gucci Mane used to always say, like he's using the reference of his little flings. He would say, opportunities are like, buses miss one next 15, one coming. And you can look up the regular lyrics if you want to do that. But literally, you might miss the bus, but you got to be ready for that next bus to come, or you got to be trying to bucket to get to the next bus stop so you can catch the bus. But if you don't want to catch the bus, then don't stand in. Don't stand in the bus stop.
- [21:29]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
Yeah.
- [21:29]
Jameis Winston
You know what I'm saying?
- [21:30]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Absolutely. You talked about guys from Iowa, guys from all over the country going into one facility of 53 guys that should have one goal, that's to win a Super Bowl.
- [21:38]
Jameis Winston
That's it.
- [21:39]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
When you go into your rookie season, coming from Florida State, you win a national championship like you have, you've been in the tip top of college, and now you put yourself back on the bottom of the totem pole. What trials and tribulations did you have? Maybe trying to push the envelope too much on how do I take Leadership, as opposed to earn the. Earn the leadership. That's a very difficult thing because everyone says the quarterback has to be the leader in the room.
- [21:58]
Jameis Winston
Yeah.
- [21:58]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
And to be a rookie immediately with grown men who have kids, 401ks. All that and you're walking for your first time being like, yo, this is crazy. Yeah, like, you need to be a leader in this situation. What, What. Where did you think you thrived and where? Some areas that, like, oh, if I could go back, I would do that differently.
- [22:12]
Jameis Winston
The places that I thrive was just bringing youth into the whole situation. Because I think even veterans in the locker room, they need to see someone who loves the game and instills that passion in them that they may have once had, or they might just need somebody to help them, assist them into finding their passion back. And I know I did that to the best of my abilities. The thing that I feel like I could have did a better job at, that I know I could have did a better job at, was being unapologetically myself. The first few games at Tampa Bay, like when we used to lose, I used to cry. You know, I used to. I really used to cry. Like, I hated losing. But along the course, I started to be okay with losing those games. And when I consider myself being okay, that's why I said, nah, I compromised too much. I wasn't me. Like, I would never be okay with losing. But anytime like this, this is. This is like science. If you take a step backwards, that is going to hurt you way more than taking 10 steps forward. Because if you're consistently moving forward step by step, you gonna get farther. But the only time where you eliminate all chances is when you take a step backwards. And when you compromise who you truly are as a human being, you're taking a step backwards. So I try to please everyone else. Like, I ain't gonna cry. I know we just got beat by twin. I'm not gonna cry. I'm just gonna act like I'm happy. But that's. That's. I'm. I'm acting like I'm happy and we just got beat by 20. Like, that don't do nobody justice. Obviously, when you walk into the building, like, the mentality that you need to have needs to be energetic, positive, so you don't bring anyone else down, but you can't be okay with losing. Right. And that's the part that I felt like before I got to the NFL, I never lost. Like, I. I didn't lose really. You know, not. Not really. We always. And I think that's the part in the NFL that is limiting me from getting to where I want to be because I don't have enough wins, you know? And, like, early on in my Tampa years, me compromising to being okay with losing, I think that impacted my wins leading up to this point, up until now.
- [24:25]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
Why do you feel like you started to be okay with losing?
- [24:27]
Jameis Winston
Because everyone else was okay with losing, and I had to be that person to make sure that they knew it's okay. You know what I'm saying? We just need to fix this. We just need to do this. We just need to do that instead of being like, nah, this ain't okay. We have to do this. It's required for us, not what we need to do, bro. This is a requirement if we want our jobs, if we want to be everything that we want to be, it is a requirement that we give all we have in this game. It is a requirement that we understand that winning is just as contagious as losing. And I don't think people understand that. Yeah.
- [24:59]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
When that first game of your NFL career, I was obviously on the other sideline.
- [25:03]
Jameis Winston
Yes.
- [25:03]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Your second year in the NFL.
- [25:04]
Jameis Winston
Yes.
- [25:04]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
And there was always this back and forth about who's going one, Marcus or Jamis. And then, so, like, the media is essentially establishing a rivalry between the two of you. Did you feel that rivalry going into that game or through the combine process, the interview process?
- [25:17]
Jameis Winston
I definitely felt it throughout the combine process. Man, me. Me and Marcus was training at the same place out in Carlsbad. Prolific athletes with Ryan Flaherty and Carlsbad's.
- [25:28]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Such a great place.
- [25:29]
Jameis Winston
It was beautiful.
- [25:29]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
It's amazing.
- [25:30]
Jameis Winston
It's beautiful. And we were out there the same place, and, like, we would show up and, like, we never would work out together. Like, literally, like, if I was in the building, like, he was either leaving or he was gonna go somewhere else. Like, it was just never the. The. The brotherhood that you see. The 1 and 2 typically has. You know what I'm saying? It was just like, you. You over there, I'm over here. Like, let's work. But I. I ain't trying to do it together.
- [25:58]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
So no conversations took place because it is such an interesting rivalry to me, because both of you guys are such good people.
- [26:04]
Jameis Winston
But I didn't tell you I was thinking the same.
- [26:06]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Like, they're both.
- [26:06]
Jameis Winston
Like, I didn't tell y' all the.
- [26:07]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Good part has never said a bad thing about anybody ever.
- [26:10]
Jameis Winston
He's not a good part.
- [26:12]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
I know, but I'm still trying to drag the audience out a little bit.
- [26:14]
Jameis Winston
No.
- [26:15]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
James, Winston and Marcus hated each other. It's crazy.
- [26:17]
Jameis Winston
We. We never hated each other, bro. We just, like, obviously, I was. Marcus was always the quiet person among us, too. So I know I probably could have been extra in times I was around him. But last year, man, I took time just searching, like, who can I train with? And I took the accountability of going out to Oregon, going out to train with Jimmy Ratcliffe, who's a longtime strength coach at Oregon, just because I was focusing on my speed and agility. So I went out there, and my chiropractor, Eric Gorman, is from Oregon and loves Oregon. So he was like, hey, let's go out here. Cause he's the best. And Marcus was out there. So that was the first time in 10 years we actually trained together. And it was such a surreal moment because Marcus was the one that was showing me the exercise. I was like, dang, like, Marcus, you done had this upper hand on me this whole time I'm out here. You could have been putting me on, dog. Like, what's going on? But it was such a respectable moment because, you know, I got a chance to meet his wife then, and he was. I remember him playing soccer with his wife at prolific athletes. Like, his mental was already ahead, like, to focusing on his family, his journey. Like, he wasn't into all the things that I was into. He was focused on, like, man, I got my family. I'm about to have this opportunity. I'm going to focus on that. I was focusing on, man, I got this opportunity. I'm about to make the most of it, man, we got to win the super bowl, man, I just won the championship, man. It's unstoppable. And this is the only person that beat me in my college career. So I know I'm going to be better than him. I'm focusing from that lens, but he's focusing from the. Like, he's focused from more of a creative mindset. It's like, I have my family, I have my gifts. I'm going to go and steward that, and I'm going to go. I'm focusing more from the competitive mindset. Like, I'm going to be better than you. I'm be. Do. I'm going to do this and that. And you can never have successful from the competitive mindset, right? You have to remain creative, because if you're competitive, you focus on one thing and one thing open. But when you create a, you, You. You able to adapt. You able to make a transition when the transition is Required.
- [28:19]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
It's such a breath of fresh air because you talked to the normal thing with. I'll just speak for football players because what I remember is like, you always.
- [28:27]
Jameis Winston
Find squad got some special gifts.
- [28:30]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
You always sit there and you're like, yo, I got to. I got a chip on my shoulder. And then you sort of have success and you feel that chip on your shoulder kind of going away. But then somebody is drafted ahead of you or somebody does what they say is a better for me, a better tackle than me. And it was like, that's all I needed to replant this. This chip on my shoulder. So, like, did you and Marcus ever, like, 10 years later, sit down and be like, hey, I. The way I approach the competition between us, I favor the way you did it over the way I did it. Was there ever that, like, transparent conversation between you two?
- [28:57]
Jameis Winston
No, we haven't had. We haven't had our yearly heart to heart yet. No, we have not done that. But. But no, we. What we had was just a moment of grace, a moment of peace. I was like, man, bro, like, I'm grateful you still in the lead, man. You're like, bro, I'm grateful. Like, you still in the lead. Like, bro, we. We did it. We live in our dream together. So no matter what was our initial approach when we first started, we are here now. So let's focus on what we gonna do moving forward. And like, and when he had his great game in Washington, I shot him a ticks. When I had a few good games, he shot me a ticks. And that is a relationship that we never develop through the course of 10 years, but with maturity, with growth, with gratefulness and understanding that, man, it's bigger than me. I can't let this comp. This. This game get in between some of the relationships and from the. In some of the. From in front of the good people that I have in my life.
- [29:52]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
Yeah, you're known for your speeches. When was the first speech first you gave? How old were you, man? You stood up. You're like, all right, I'm going to go ahead and do it. I'm going to stand up in front of this team and I'm going to deliver.
- [30:03]
Jameis Winston
I don't know what it's going to.
- [30:04]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
Be, but I got to say, man.
- [30:05]
Jameis Winston
I always had something to say. So, like, that I never been short winded in the breath, you know, like. And I remember like the Belm Tiger days where I'm like, man, we finna go and tear their heads off, man. These boys can't mess with us. I remember the murder. Murder. Kill. Kill. Guess what happened on the field, Bellsman. Tigers got crunk. The other team got stumped. You know, like, that's just, that's just the way of the land.
- [30:29]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Like two white guys sitting here be.
- [30:30]
Jameis Winston
Like, yeah, but I'm just saying. Yeah, like y' all probably was over there. Who are we? Yeah, yeah, let's rip their heads off. No doubt. We're going to out bear crawl them today. Not. And we thinking about we kicking the door down. Boy. What y' all doing over there? You know what I'm saying? Honestly.
- [30:53]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
But honestly.
- [30:55]
Jameis Winston
But honestly, bro, like, I feel like the Lord steward me with a voice. And I felt like early on in my career that voice was taken away from me because of my energy being put to trying to prove to everybody who I was. And when you are in a place of proving and constantly proving, you lose sight of your true growth. You lose sight of that true grace that you should give yourself. You lose sight of who you truly are because you so immersed what someone else is thinking. And like, one thing I love about just about Jesus in general, like, when I forget what chapter it was, but I know in Matthew 6:33, he talks about seeking first the kingdom of the Lord and all his righteousness. When someone is asking him, like, what two things should I take with me to be able to get into heaven? And he says, first, seek first the kingdom of God and all his righteousness and all things will be given unto you. And the second thing he says, love thy neighbor as thyself. And when I get to that point, obviously, like, everything I do is for my faith. My foundation is in the Lord. But when I get to love thy neighbor as thyself, when I be speaking to young kids, I'd be like, man, he says, love thy neighbor as thyself. So if you're not loving yourself, if you're not putting sweat equity and time into yourself, you will not be able to physically love your neighbor. You will not be able to physically serve someone else if you're not focusing on what you can do to be the solution for you. And that really just sit with me. And it encourages me every single day. Like, when I'm meeting new people, when I'm talking to my teammates, when I'm kissing my babies is like, man, I'm about to love my baby as I love myself. But first I got to make sure that my priority is straight. I got to make sure that I'm doing things in an efficient way. I got to make sure that I'm acting and not just saying, I got to make sure that I'm doing all these things for me to be able to be physically and mentally able to love someone else and serve someone else in a capacity that I may want to be served in, that's beautiful. I know that's deep. You know what I'm saying? I'll be trying to hit y' all with Bible sermons, but it's just the.
- [33:03]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
God that's the second one.
- [33:04]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
This podcast touching you right now.
- [33:05]
Jameis Winston
It's the God in me, you know, I think.
- [33:07]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
Has it always came natural? Like, whether it's you, you know, trying to rally the troops in middle school, high school, has that always came natural to you?
- [33:14]
Jameis Winston
It has. It has always came natural. I've never been really lost for words, and I'm grateful for that. My dad has, obviously. He's been my coach coming up, and it was kind of a. It was kind of a way for me to get on some of my teammates butts, because it was always my fault. You know what I'm saying? Like, he was always trying to hype me up and, like, be like, you need to do this, you need to do that. Like, he stayed on me. He pushed me to that maximum level. So I'm like, he gonna push me. Like, I'm gonna push y' all ass because y' all don't understand what I'm going through at home. Y' all just at practice, downhill. Y' all just. Y' all ain't. Y' all ain't make. Y' all ain't in there blowing off them small cassette tapes. So your daddy for your daddy, because we got old vc, VHS cassette tapes that we gotta put in a little thing and then put it in the. In the VCR and then rewind it, and we sitting there watching tape of our Little League games. I'm like, daddy, like, does. Does. Does my uncle, man, you gotta record all our games. Like, yes. You finna watch this tape. You about to see what you did while you flipping right there like that. I don't know. Like, I'm trying to have fun.
- [34:18]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
So how old are you when that's happening?
- [34:20]
Jameis Winston
Man, I started watching film when I was 6 years old, man. Like, literally no, literally old VHS tapes, man. My dad pulling me in the back room like, hey, man, you done with your homework? Yes. All right, come on in here. Like, literally go give me that little tape right there. When they had the Liberty tapes, like, the little cassette tape that you would put inside the vhs, because that, like.
- [34:39]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
They Ain't had because you'd have the.
- [34:40]
Jameis Winston
Camcorders, take out the little tape, put it in the little adapter and then push it in there, man. Like, I was like, man. And then, you know, Lilitates my uncle mania up there, God rest his soul. Like, he's. He just see me scoring a touchdown. The film over there. Go J. Boo. Goj, Boo. I'm scoring the touchdown over there. I'm like, dad, what I supposed to be looking at right here? Myself. I hit you in your mouth. Like, dad, I'm just. I'm just saying, obviously it was a touchdown, you know what I'm saying? It ain't about the touchdown. You can't get a touchdown until you got a first down. Did you get a first down? But I got a touchdown. How many first downs was? Amount of yards that I had to get the first down. But no, I credit my dad for really giving me that voice, man, because he was always encouraging me to, one, be accountable what I'm doing. And two, if you see something, say something. If you feel something, say something. Don't just sit here and look at me and tell me. I was finna say this, but you know what? I ain't want to say it because I thought you was gonna get mad at me. Who does that help? It don't help nobody.
- [35:39]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Yeah, that's a massive piece of advice.
- [35:41]
Jameis Winston
You know what I'm saying?
- [35:41]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
How do you deal with that? So six years old, you're watching film.
- [35:45]
Jameis Winston
Yeah.
- [35:46]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
Like, we all.
- [35:46]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Every. I think every human being goes through that rebellious phase in their life. 13, 14, that testosterone starts to hit a little bit different.
- [35:52]
Jameis Winston
Yeah.
- [35:52]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Start focusing on girls a little bit more. You start getting more rebellious towards your parents. How did you handle. Did you ever have a rebellious phase with your father or anybody?
- [36:00]
Jameis Winston
Man, the one of the toughest times in my life was. Was 2019, man, when I felt like I was growing as a man, as an individual. But my dad was going through some pains. I lost my grandmother, his mother the year before, and my uncle died on my birthday. You know, it was just an early phase of COVID on my birthday of 2019. And it was tough for him. And that was one of the first. Well, he died the next year, but he was battling sicknesses and stuff, and it was tough for him. And he decided. He was like, I'm not going to go to any of your games. And like, I'm okay, okay, We. If we playing New York, you know what I'm saying? He don't like flying. I get that. You Know, but you know, I'm coming into my home games. He was like, no, I just don't. I don't think so. I don't think I'm gonna come to any of your games. And it was the first time where, like, me and him was like, bumping heads. I'm like, hold on now, like, man, like, this one is my contract year. Like, two, like, I need you now more than ever. You know what I'm saying? You've been in my life. I'm fortunate to have a dad in my life and. And you deciding not to come to my games this whole time. I found out that my uncle was sick after that. Like, he just was going through it because of his mom. And I've never seen him in that way. And he didn't allow me to see him in that way until I was down bad. Until, you know, until I'm going into the Bucs facility in the middle of COVID training my butt off, like, knowing that the world is shut down. But I see signs of, of TB12 being built in the middle of COVID I said, now how in the hell are they able to build a TB12 in the middle of COVID And like, and nothing is announced yet, but I'm going to the facility still. I'm like, man, I'm gonna get a chance to work with Tom Brady. Oh, my goodness, it's gonna be amazing. And then breaking news. Tom Brady has just signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And I'm just sitting there like, I knew that TB12. There ain't don't nothing happened by coincidence. Like, I'm sitting up getting my life, and I'm going through it with my dad. Like, I just done broke an NFL record with 30 touch, 33 touchdowns, 30 interceptions. Like, ain't nobody gonna ever break that, ever. They just, they're not confident enough. But, but, but, man, I just had this. And at the same time, like, like, me and my dad, we going through it because I'm like, man, like, this is my biggest year ever. Like, and you not there for me. But I look back, I was like, man, I wasn't there for you either. Because. And sometimes. And in African American communities, like, yeah, we have a dad present, but we not consistently communicating with our father all the time. It's through sports, it's through discipline, where we are communicating with our fathers. We never sit there and have the quality time because our fathers are either grinding or out to have just a heart to heart conversation, you know, and that's why I take pride of like sitting down at a table with my wife and kids and saying, like, man, if you could change anything about the world today, like, what would you change? Just giving them that authority that, like, you can speak to me about anything. I want to know what, like, what impact are you willing to make into this world? And I do believe that my relationship with my dad has grown since those two years just because we actually had to see each other both in downstages. And we didn't want either us to be in that. In that role. But there was things internally that we both was facing that we had no choice but to confess and come out with because we both were in a down bad situation.
- [39:30]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
Question for you with your dad. Oh, he has the role. Okay, we'll get him. We'll get him in. What's got me curious now, because obviously your dad was hard on you in a great way. I mean, it led you to be the player that you are, the man that you are. As you being a father now, everything you've learned from being, you know, fathered by your dad, how do you approach fatherhood with your kids knowing, like, okay, they never did sit down and have the tough conversations or have the vulnerabilities or when you're sitting at dinner and everything else. How has your dad raising you helped you be the father that you are? Whether it's. I'm going to take the things that he taught me, and also I'm going to do things a little bit differently, you know, against the things that I feel like I did not get for him from him as a kid.
- [40:13]
Jameis Winston
Well, I'm. I'm so blessed and grateful that the time and the support that my wife gives me with my. With my children of how on top of everything, she is, like, I think it's truly a blessing when you have a partner that's like, down for you. And I'm lucky. Cause I met my baby when our junior years in high school. Like, we've been high school sweethearts. We done went through everything together. Like, we done grew, literally grew together like inches. We done grew together. You know, we didn't have heartbreak, we didn't have upsets. But, man, when I view my kids and I know I'm loving her and I'm willing to sacrifice and provide and protect her. When I'm looking at my babies, I want my babies to do as I do and not do as I say. So when I'm with them, I'm intentional with my words, I'm intentional with my actions because I want them to be Young men of action. And right now, like they 6 and 4. Anyway, so what I'm really saying, they really probably not listen or hearing me. I know one of them definitely not listening or hearing me. But I do it with simple things. I engage with them by what they want, you know, Because I want my babies to know what their heart truly desires. Because I know. I always knew. Well, honestly I wanted to be a foot doctor, but I always knew I wanted to be a NFL super bowl winning quarterback.
- [41:30]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Plan B was foot doctor, you know what I'm saying?
- [41:31]
Jameis Winston
Plan B was a podiatrist because of the woman, Cynthia Hobby, who inspired me to be a foot doctor because she was taking care of my grandma feet and my daddy feet. So that's a long story. But anyways, for my babies, man, I just want them to do as I do and I do as I say, man. And I want to continue to be see this man of increase. And I want them to see me encountering with other people and leading other people so that they can know, like, hey, this is, this is just what we do. This isn't, this is, this ain't no facade. Like, my daddy is the best daddy in the world because of his actions, not because of what he say, not because what he necessarily tell me or write down in his journal. You know, I think that's an important part too. I have, I got my receipts, you know, I got, I keep my journal, you know what I'm saying? So when I'm writing things, writing stuff down, like, I'm like, I'm gonna read this, my six year old son, he'll sit there and read what I just said. So now we doing tangible things. Like, man, what you writing that down for? Like, shoot, I wrote down, I'm kind, I'm grateful, I'm confident, man, because I need those affirmations just as much as you, my son, you know? Okay, so you talking to yourself. I'm like, well, yes, I'm talking to myself, but we have the ability to speak life into ourselves. You like, so. So you still talking to yourself though, daddy? I'm like, but it's okay to talk to yourself. We actually talk to ourself more than anybody else. And you're like, okay. And you don't understand the impact that you're making because they're still processing.
- [42:56]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
It's called brick by brick foundation.
- [42:57]
Jameis Winston
Yes, it is.
- [42:58]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
It's a process, man.
- [42:59]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
That is awesome.
- [42:59]
Jameis Winston
It is.
- [43:00]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
As two guys with kids as well, that's awesome to hear that you're doing.
- [43:03]
Jameis Winston
Everything I know Y' all doing the same thing.
- [43:05]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
He's got boys.
- [43:06]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
I know.
- [43:06]
Jameis Winston
I know y' all got girls. I'm praying for a girl.
- [43:08]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
Two girls, two girl.
- [43:09]
Jameis Winston
You'll love.
- [43:10]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
They're the best. I would love an heir to the throne.
- [43:15]
Jameis Winston
I just need. I just need one.
- [43:17]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
This question is so tailored to you. I hope you embrace it and you love it. It's halftime. The three of us were down three scores. We got to rally the troops. What are you saying to the boys at halftime? Coach looks at everybody, says a couple of words. Jamis, bring them up.
- [43:33]
Jameis Winston
Hey. Yeah, it's zero. Zero. What happened already happened, but it ain't nothing that we can do but act now. Let's act now. Let's get busy. Let's go out there and let's dominate the line of scrimmage first. Let's make sure that we execute in the red zone. We gonna get down there. I'm gonna throw it all over there. But let's make sure that we are populating the football on defense. Let's make sure that we are attacking the football on offense. I'm talking to y' all receivers because I'm gonna let you get it. All right, here we go. Team on three. One, two, three. Team.
- [43:58]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Beautiful.
- [43:59]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
Love that.
- [44:00]
Interviewer 2 (Possibly Will or another co-host)
Beautiful.
- [44:01]
Jameis Winston
Brother.
- [44:01]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
Thank you for your time. This has been incredible. Legitimately, thank you.
- [44:05]
Jameis Winston
I appreciate y', all, man.
- [44:06]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
It's been a minute. We've been wanting to make this happen for a while, and I've been talking with Joe, but sincerely, thank you for coming.
- [44:11]
Jameis Winston
No, thank you, brother. I'm grateful for you. Thankful.
- [44:13]
Interviewer 1 (Possibly Joe or Taylor)
Yes, sir.
- [44:14]
Jameis Winston
All right, Taylor. Appreciate you, man. Yes, sir. Appreciate you.
- [44:16]
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