Interview Only: Jameis Winston, former Heisman Trophy QB has become new NFL Hype Man.

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Stephen A. Smith Show Featuring Jameis Winston

Release Date: February 9, 2025

In this compelling episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show, host Stephen A. Smith engages in an in-depth conversation with former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jameis Winston. Transitioning from his illustrious playing career to his new role as a Fox Sports correspondent, Winston delves into his personal journey, professional challenges, and perspectives on the evolving landscape of the NFL. The interview is rich with insights, candid reflections, and strategic outlooks, making it a must-listen for sports enthusiasts and those interested in the dynamics of professional athletics.

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1. Transition to Media: From Quarterback to Correspondent

Stephen A. Smith kicks off the interview by addressing Winston's unexpected role at Fox Sports, highlighting his recent appearance interviewing Saquon Barkley at Super Bowl Media Day.

• Stephen A. Smith [01:32]: "My next guest is the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft... Please welcome to the show the one and only Jameis Winston."

• Jameis Winston [02:02]: "I'm a Fox Sports correspondent, okay? You know, just exploring different avenues that this profession offers."

Winston explains his venture into media as an exploration of new professional avenues, emphasizing his desire to leverage his platform beyond the football field.

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2. Reflecting on an NFL Career: Triumphs and Tribulations

The conversation shifts to Winston’s NFL career, tracing his journey from being the first overall pick to becoming an unrestricted free agent.

• Stephen A. Smith [03:36]: "How have you felt about your career and how it has gone?"

• Jameis Winston [03:53]: "I'm very grateful for my career because it was my dream to be an NFL quarterback... I sometimes look back and say like, lord, I should have prayed more specific."

Winston reflects on the highs and lows of his career, acknowledging his dominance in passing and the excitement he brought to fans. However, he candidly admits that his career hasn't unfolded as he had envisioned, particularly in leading a team to a Super Bowl victory.

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3. The Interception Challenge: Turning Weakness into Strength

A significant portion of the discussion centers on Winston's notorious interception rates and his quest to overcome this hurdle.

• Stephen A. Smith [04:46]: "Why is it that this one impediment continues to plague him?"

• Jameis Winston [06:06]: "I am an aggressive quarterback... understanding how to not mess the game up is something that I'm still learning."

Winston acknowledges his aggressive playstyle as a double-edged sword. While it makes him an exciting player, it has also led to costly turnovers. He emphasizes his ongoing efforts to minimize these mistakes by focusing on reducing negative plays and improving decision-making.

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4. Leadership and Personality: The Impact of Being 'Too Nice'

Stephen probes into whether Winston's affable nature has affected his leadership on the field.

• Stephen A. Smith [07:52]: "Did it ever occur to you that one of your biggest problems might be that you're not an asshole... Did it ever occur to you that you might be too nice?"

• Jameis Winston [08:51]: "Yes, that's definitely it... I am too nice, man."

Winston confesses that his inclination to please others has sometimes hindered his ability to enforce accountability among teammates. He reflects on his early career when he was more of a "people pleaser" and how he's been working towards balancing kindness with the necessary sternness required to lead effectively.

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5. Team Dynamics and Coaching Relationships

The interview delves into Winston's interactions with various coaches and teammates, highlighting how these relationships have shaped his career.

• Jameis Winston [15:55]: "Sean Payton... was holding other people accountable throughout the whole building."

• Stephen A. Smith [17:36]: "You're looking for a job right now. Is there an ideal place that you want to be or are you of the mindset that there are many teams in the NFL that you believe you can help?"

Winston discusses the positive influence of coaches like Sean Payton, who instilled a culture of accountability. He contrasts this with his experiences under coaches who did not believe in his potential, ultimately shaping his decision to seek environments where he can thrive and contribute meaningfully.

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6. Navigating Free Agency: Aspirations and Criteria

As an unrestricted free agent, Winston shares his criteria for selecting his next team, emphasizing the importance of a supportive offensive line and a conducive system.

• Jameis Winston [26:23]: "I'm willing and able to win... I lead by example. I'm the one in the building. I'm the last one to leave."

• Stephen A. Smith [35:36]: "Just don't go... It doesn't matter what you can do if you don't have an offensive line."

Winston expresses a desire to join a team that not only believes in his abilities but also provides the necessary infrastructure, such as a robust offensive line, to maximize his performance and lead the team to victories.

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7. The Evolution of Black Quarterbacks in the NFL

The discussion broadens to address the increasing presence and evolution of Black quarterbacks in the league, with Winston providing his insights on the progress and ongoing challenges.

• Stephen A. Smith [21:57]: "Your thoughts on how the position has evolved since your time arriving in this league?"

• Jameis Winston [21:57]: "The quarterback position was defined as someone who can lead, lead the team... But when it came to us, it started that wasn't the case."

Winston acknowledges the strides made by Black quarterbacks but also highlights persistent stereotypes and systemic biases that necessitate continued advocacy and representation. He credits trailblazers like Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb for paving the way and emphasizes the need for offensive systems that value diverse skill sets.

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8. Perspectives on the Super Bowl: Analysis and Predictions

In the concluding segment, Winston offers his analysis of the upcoming Super Bowl matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs.

• Jameis Winston [34:09]: "Kansas City has one of the most dominant defensive linemen... if it's a high scoring game or a low scoring game, we know if it comes down to the crutch, Kansas City has a magical formula to win close games when it matters most."

While refraining from making outright predictions, Winston provides strategic insights into how both teams might approach the game, emphasizing the importance of executing plays effectively and leveraging strengths in critical moments.

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9. Closing Remarks: Looking Ahead

As the interview wraps up, Stephen and Winston exchange pleasantries, underscoring the enduring respect and camaraderie between them.

• Stephen A. Smith [35:56]: "You're talking about somebody that looks at you and says, look, I'm gonna give you a fair shot."

• Jameis Winston [36:09]: "Yes, sir. Thank you, brother."

Winston reiterates his commitment to focusing on his personal growth and professional excellence, aiming to secure a position where he can truly make an impact.

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Key Takeaways:

• Self-Awareness: Winston demonstrates a profound understanding of his strengths and areas needing improvement, particularly regarding turnovers and leadership dynamics.

• Leadership Evolution: Recognizing the balance between kindness and accountability is central to Winston's growth as a leader both on and off the field.

• Free Agency Strategy: Winston is meticulous in identifying teams that align with his values and provide the necessary support systems to rejuvenate his career.

• Advocacy for Diversity: He emphasizes the ongoing evolution and importance of Black quarterbacks in the NFL, advocating for systems that embrace diverse talents.

• Future Aspirations: Committed to winning and personal development, Winston is poised to make strategic moves that could redefine his impact in the league.

This episode offers a candid glimpse into Jameis Winston's mindset as he navigates his post-playing career and seeks to reignite his journey in the NFL. His reflections serve as an inspiring narrative of resilience, self-improvement, and unwavering ambition.

Transcript

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[Stephen A. Smith]

My next guest is the first overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. After playing with the Cleveland Browns last season, he is now an unrestricted free agent. What's his next move? I'm about to find out. Please welcome to the show the one and only Jameis Winston. What's up, man? How you doing, bro? How you doing?

[Jameis Winston]

What's up? Good brother.

[Stephen A. Smith]

The goat, my brother. What the hell is this that I'm seeing? You sitting there working for Fox Sports Digital at, at. At. At Media day in the super bowl, interviewing Saquan Barkley. What was that? What was going on there?

[Jameis Winston]

Well, man, I'm a Fox Sports correspondent, okay? You know, just exploring different avenues that this profession offers. So I'm taking advantage of it.

[Stephen A. Smith]

What kind of questions were you coming up with to ask Saquan Barkley?

[Jameis Winston]

Well, one of my most popular questions was what his favorite color was. But it's all. It's just del. It's the delivery. As you know, with everything, it's not what you bring and it's how you deliver it.

[Stephen A. Smith]

It's how you deliver it. So. So you thought it was pertinent to ask him about his favorite color. What did you think we was going to get out of that?

[Jameis Winston]

Well, I was thinking I was going to get his favorite color and that's what I got.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Right. When you think about yourself being here right now, what is this feeling like for. For you? Because obviously the Eagles are here, the Kansas City Chiefs are here, Cleveland Browns are not. Obviously. So what has it been like for you to experience this here at super bowl week?

[Jameis Winston]

Well, man, when I first got signed with Cleveland Browns, I had a paradigm shift. Not really a paradigm shift, but I started spending time in meditation and prayer and writing that I was going to lead the Cleveland Browns to Super Bowl 59, February 9, 202025 in the New Orleans Superdome. Because I just was here in the city. Like, that's something I written that wrote down every single day. But the Lord works in mysterious ways. I didn't know that he was gonna bring me here in the super bowl to be a fossil sports correspondent, to have all this media energy and have all this media attention. So in essence, like, this is kind of a media super bowl for me. It's unfortunate because I want to be in a real thing. I want to be in a real show. Like, I don't like the facade of everything. I want to be playing in the game. But I'm very happy for these two brothers that's in the game and I'm looking forward to continuing to work with Fox and put on the show.

[Stephen A. Smith]

How have you felt about your career and how it has gone? You come into the league in 2015, you start off your career. I think first five years in Tampa, you spent three, end up spending three years in New Orleans. You obviously been in Cleveland over the last year or two. How would you describe your career in your words?

[Jameis Winston]

Obviously, I'm very grateful for my career because it was my dream to be an NFL quarterback. I just sometimes I look back and say like, lord, I should have prayed more specific. It should have been to be an NFL super bowl winning quarterback. Because my career has not gone no way shape form, fashion the way that I wanted it to go. But I think that's, that's something that's unique about me because I'm always able to see the good in everything. I believe I have been very dominant in terms of throwing the football, passing the football. I feel like I have been very exciting in terms of giving the fans a great experience to see. I do not feel like that I've been to the caliber that I can be in terms of a team trusting me to be their franchise quarterback, because I have all the intangibles. I know I prepare myself better than anybody. But now I have one thing that I need to eliminate. And now you think I'm going to talk about interceptions, but I'm really going to talk about winning. Because when you win, they can't do nothing to you.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You got me. Because I damn sure was going to be the Deceptions. That's exactly where I was going.

[Jameis Winston]

I know exactly where you was going, but. But I think it's winning, man. Like, I've never lost in my entire life until I really got to the NFL. So that has been challenging for me. And I went through stages of growth, understanding. Like, man, just because we lose, I'm not gonna compromise with this. Early on in my career, I got okay with losing in Tampa Bay, and that was me not being who I truly was. So just me going out of there understanding that authentically. Like, man, my main priority is I want to win. And I'm not gonna substitute how I feel or re. I would say, suffocate my emotions and competitiveness of winning for anybody else I brought up.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I was going to bring up the Deceptions. You're absolutely right, because I've never recovered from the 30 that you threw in 2019. I've always held that one thing against you, but I held it against you because I'm like, he can really play. He can throw the damn football. He does have the intentions. He's not a scrub. His brother can play. We saw what you did at Florida State. We know who you are. Why is it that this one impediment continues to plague him? Why do you think that is? Because you're smart. You know, you sit up there and look at it. Why can't he overcome this one malady? How do you answer that question?

[Jameis Winston]

Yeah, well, some of the best years in my career where I protected the football very well, I've had guys that have allowed me to just truly be who I am and not found a way to protect me from myself. I believe I am an aggressive quarterback. I believe I do like to take chances. But I think some of the best years I played was those years when I wasn't the reason for us winning. And in times when you're the quarterback, obviously you have quarterbacks that like, hey, he's the one that we're winning because of, and we're just winning with him. In times I want to be that Quarterback that I, that we win because of. But throughout the course of my career, like, it's certain opportunities where the team really don't need me. They just don't need me to mess it up, right? And like me, I want every opportunity, I want to take on every opportunity. So understanding how to not mess the game up is something that I'm still learning and I got to keep getting better at that.

[Stephen A. Smith]

What do you say to somebody that says you're 31 years of age? Yeah, you should know by now. How do you respond to that?

[Jameis Winston]

Well, I would tell them, man, like being an African American quarterback from the state of Alabama, I've always was very past centric. Everybody always tried to put me in a bubble about being athletic. So I always wanted to show people that I can throw the ball and throw it with the best of them. So that's a mentality that I created over time that I'm still learning how to one, evaluate my personnel, right? Making sure that I'm throwing to guys that I trust, right? Making sure that I'm throwing the guys that, that are, that I, I know is going to be in a specific place. Me evaluating my defense, knowing who I can attack because I'm not scared of anybody. But one thing I, I, I'm starting to learn is like, you can be confident in what you got, but you also have a, have to have a certain level of fear, that fear of messing the game up for your teammates. So age, I, I, I know age is a, is a big thing, man, but I know I can play. And I, I think that's all that matter.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Well, 31 ain't old in this, in today's NFL, you got, you, you got a decade to go as far as I'm concerned, considering some of the quarterbacks that are still playing this game. But I wanted to, listening to you, I wanted to appeal beneath something that you alluded to. You talked about being a black quarterback from Alabama, and you talked about essentially debunking stereotypes. In other words, you know what? They can't really throw. They're athletic, they can run with the football, et cetera. Did it ever occur to you that one of your biggest problems might be that you're not an asshole, that you're one of the nicest guys? You're smart, you're affable, you're pleasant to be around, you're not an asshole, you're not one of those truculent or Serbic individuals that's going to be like, hell with you. I don't give a Damn. Who likes me? It. Did it ever occur to you that you might be too nice?

[Jameis Winston]

Oh, yeah, for sure.

[Stephen A. Smith]

And that that might be the thing that's holding you back because you want to please everybody. Could that be it?

[Jameis Winston]

Oh, that. That's definitely it, man. Like, I forgot the beginning part of my career. I was in this people pleasing business, man. Me and my daddy used to go back and forth about, you don't gotta prove none of these people, man. You just gotta show up, win and show out. But when I first got into this league, man, the aura that was around me was a negative aura, man. So I came into this league, man, trying to show people who I truly was, trying to show people that I'm not a bad guy. I'm not who you hear about me in the media. And that was outside of my element because you don't have to show nobody who you really are. You just be who you really are. But the youthfulness that I had, I thought that I had to do that. I thought that I had to be in the community all the time, making sure I show people like, man, I love my, my people, I love my community, I love my kids. You know, I thought I had to be up in my teammates faces talking about some man, like, come on, let's. God, don't, don't worry about that. We going to get this, this and. And that. But at the end of the day, being nice is a thing. I do believe that I'm called to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. I, I do know. I know my faith has brought me to where I'm at now. But I think you exactly right, bro. I am too nice, man. I am too. I do other people's opinions more than my own self sometimes.

[Stephen A. Smith]

And I gotta tell you, you and I haven't seen each other in a while.

[Jameis Winston]

Yeah, for sure.

[Stephen A. Smith]

We. I know we saw each other in Tampa years ago when we came to Tampa. I know we saw each other another time. I forgot you was reminding me before we went on the air. But that's the only time we've really seen each other face to face. Jamis, you seem like the same dude, bro. Yeah, you seem like the same nice, lovable, affable dude. Same look on your face, same personality, same niceness, same the kind of things that you're alluding to. It's consistently you. I'm not telling you to be something other than what you are, but what I'm saying is when you're the quarterback of a National Football League team, Sometimes you got to make cats scared to mess up just as much as you scared to mess up, because if you nice, they can always defer to you as being the one to blame or the one who will forgive them easily for. For messing up.

[Jameis Winston]

That's my career.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That's what I'm saying. Does that make sense?

[Jameis Winston]

Man, one of the biggest things that I. That was eye opening to me is when I became the African American version of Drew Bledo. When Tom Brady came in after that Covid year and took the. The Bucks to the Super Bowl. And I would talk to my teammates, and they would say. They would say, oh, man, Tom, he worked so hard. Like, he brought this hard work. And I'm like, man, y'all don't remember when I used to tell y'all, let's go to Skyway and. And let's run these routes. And y'all would be like, oh, man, my leg's tired. This, that, and the other. Like, but y'all went out there and ran routes for Tom, but they didn't.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Do it for you.

[Jameis Winston]

Some of them didn't do it for me. You know what I'm saying? And, like. And that comes from that, again, that complex of, like, man, we kind of like, we know Tom will get in our butt if we not out there. We know what Tom expect for us. But, Jameis, you are okay. You'll say, okay, I go to somebody else. You won't sit there and coat on like, you ain't show up to the throwing session. Why you ain't show up to the throwing session? Because I'm not like that. I feel like I'm a servant leader, and I believe I can do it in a different way. But I do think it takes that certain level of sternness and accountability from my other teammates to require success.

[Stephen A. Smith]

So with that being said, is it possible that what plagued you coming out of college and this innate belief that you had to prove yourself to other people back in 2015 when you first entered the NFL is something you still haven't let go of?

[Jameis Winston]

Yeah, well, it's something that I'm consistently working on because you have to address your past before you can move forward in the present. But what I am doing, I'm focusing on where my feet at now and addressing the things one, being accountable of my mistakes, being accountable of how I have played in this league. And I think that's one thing I think people respect about me, because I don't dodge nothing. I don't duck no wreck. I just go out there and do What I do. But me being who I am, man, I'm a person of increase. I'm always gonna be lifting my teammates up. I'm always gonna be trying to find that seat of good in everything. But I do agree with you, sometimes I can develop, I need to. Well, I'm required to develop some type of sternness when I'm approaching these men within a facility because a lot of people can, they can portray this, this, I would say this, this kindness as a softness, as a, as a like pushoverness. And people ain't never tried me like.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That or what I'm saying is I'm going a different route. I'm saying because of your character, me meaning you being a God fearing, decent human being that wants to forgive people, that understands everybody, makes m of this other stuff that comes with it. It's possible it's not even about you being a pushover. It's simply about you being such a nice guy that you're not somebody that's going to hold them accountable so they don't have to, they don't have the fear of accountability because that's what it comes down to. And now when you look at your career, where do you go from here? Because you're still that nice guy.

[Jameis Winston]

Yeah, well, I go from where about focusing more on myself. That's one thing. If you look at my tape and my interceptions, I trust way too many people to make plays for me.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yes.

[Jameis Winston]

Like, because I'm confident, I'm confident in them because I know the work that we put in. But in this game, it's about eliminating negative plays. And you just gotta really, sometimes you just gotta realize that they not putting in the work.

[Stephen A. Smith]

But you're a student of history too. You've heard Joe Montana sit up there and look at somebody. I remember I interviewed Joe Montana and I was talking about how receivers acting when Tio was on San Francisco. He wasn't on there at the time, he had retired. And I said, if you had Tio get on you the way he got on or receiver get on you the way Tio got on, Jeff Garcia to Montana said, I'd have looked at him and said, I guess you don't want the ball. You see, I'm saying, you look at Tom Brady, you don't, you, you, you supposed to run this route. You don't run the run, you don't run the right route, you ain't going to see the ball. Basketball wise, I remember Isaiah Thomas told me he threw a pass to John Sally and John Sally missed the Missed the layup. Isaiah Thomas looked at him and said, if you don't dunk that shit, the next time I give you the ball, you won't see it for a month. And John Salley was petrified because he knew that Isaiah Thomas was serious, that he would not see the ball for a month. You see what I'm saying? Because, you know, basketball, they got several games in the money. 14, 50 games a month. Do you think as you reflect on you, that you might need to be that kind of guy?

[Jameis Winston]

Well, I have that in me, man, and I do you. And I've relayed those messages to some of my teammates before. But like I say, I'm a man of increase, and I believe I can get it done the way that I do it. But it is a certain level of accountability that's required from all of us, man. I do. I do know that I'm in a, you know, I'm in a season of just being able to tell folks no. Just being able to look people in the eyes and say, like, no, I. I'm not feeling that right? And that's something that I don't do. Like, again, early on in my career, I was a compromiser, man. I remember I was in the. We was in the New Orleans airport, man, Finnig, ready to go to Dallas during the. The. I forget which hurricane was coming to New Orleans. This is my first year with Sean Payton, okay? And it was fans in the airport because we had to take a commercial flight, okay? And Sean was like. It was some fans. It was like, james, a sign this, whatever. And Sean was like, you don't have to sign that. Like, stop trying to kiss babies and stuff. You don't have to be a politician.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Who said?

[Jameis Winston]

Sean Payton, right? He's like, you don't have to be a politician, man. Like, you just got to win games for us and play football good. And like, that was the first coach that was like telling me that, you know what I'm saying? That was speaking like, James, you don't got to be this, like, you just gotta win games. And that's probably why I had some of my best years with him, because he was that. He was that stern, charismatic leader in the locker room. For me, I didn't have to. I didn't have to do the rah rah speeches. I didn't have to come with. Come with the energy all the time because I had a head coach that was holding other people accountable throughout the whole building. I'm not, you know, shortchanged in my head coach I'm fortunate to be get coached by any of these head coaches. I had a great relationship with Lovey Smith that got fired on my birthday. You know what I'm saying? I had a great relationship with Dirt Cotter, but me and him banged heads. You know, I thought it was a picture perfect matchup when Bruce Aarons had came. But I'm a man of belief. I'm a man of faith and when I go in any situation, no matter if it's a positive situation or a negative situation, I believe that I will endure, be resilient and come out strong.

[Stephen A. Smith]

I'm looking at the first five years of your career. Rookie year, you passed for 4,042 yards. Second year, 4,090 yards. Third year, 3,500 yards.

[Jameis Winston]

I got hurt though.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You got hurt? You got hurt. You played 13 games. Fourth year, you only played 11 games, started nine. You, you passed for 2,900 yards. That fifth year, you played all 16 games through for 5,109 yards. That was the year that 30 interceptions. When you look at what you did at the earlier part of your career to where you are now and you think about the NFL teams that are out there, you asked Saquon Barkley the other day, did he know of anybody looking for a job? Was the Giants looking for a quarterback?

[Jameis Winston]

Yeah.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You're looking for a job right now. Is there an ideal place that you want to be or are you of the mindset that there are many teams in the NFL that you believe you can help?

[Jameis Winston]

I know I can help every team in the NFL because I know I'm one of the best 32 quarterbacks in this country, in this world. I just know that about myself. And I watch film, I see other people play. I just think I know that I have to prove. Prove it to folks, prove it to these coaches, prove it to these owners, prove it to these GMs that I. That they can trust me with. The most important thing that the football encompasses is the football.

[Stephen A. Smith]

But you've been in the game long enough to know as a quarterback, there's certain systems that work better for quarterbacks than others. So what I'm asking is, as you look at the NFL landscape right there and you see what's lacking in a multitude of areas around the NFL, is there specific locations that stand out in your mind where you find yourself saying, I could do damage there, I could do damage there, I could do damage there?

[Jameis Winston]

Yeah. Well, first of all, you, you assess the team, right? How does the office line look? How does, how does run support? Look, what are the weapons that are around us? Do I have a good defense? Do I not have a good defense? And I assess it from there. But like I said, man, like, I'm not in this business of like, need you to make this dream come true for me, man. I'm in the business, like, man, look, man, I know what I got to fix. I know how I got to fix it. And it's one thing, it's, it's been one thing in my career that people can look at and say, like, hey man, this man got to fix this. If he can fix this, man, he'll be with the rest of us. Like. And that one thing is winning is not necessarily turnovers. I put so much thought energy on these turnovers. I can't do this. I can't do this. I cannot make negative plays and consistently win. So therefore I have to eliminate the negative plays. I cannot have pre snap penalties, lead a team that have pre snap penalties and be offsides all the time and consistently win. There are things that teams do like, you know as well as I do there. If you look at the playoffs this year, the NFL playoffs, these teams that lost, man, they sick and they sick because they lost the game. The other team had no part in them losing that game. When people are just, just like fumbling snaps.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yeah.

[Jameis Winston]

In four minute offense, when people are just, they drop ball and nobody's around them. Like those are things that happen in this like some one sometimes some stuff is uncontrollable. But when you are in those moments, especially at the quarterback position, man, we have to be the best when that time comes. And I haven't consistently been the best when that time comes in terms of protecting football, but especially winning games.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Apologize if this question is uncomfortable for you, but it's necessary to ask. You had Miles Garrett just ask to be traded out of Cleveland. Do you think he's justified in that request and do you believe whether it's you, it's Deshaun Watson or anybody else has anything to do with, with him requesting that request?

[Jameis Winston]

Well, first I had to talk to Miles and just to get his perspective on asking for a trade. But I see the work that he puts in day in and day out and I know the way his career is now. He will go down as one of the greatest defensive ends of all time. And he has done that with the Cleveland Browns. So obviously the organization hasn't been detrimental to him. But I understand the importance of winning, man, I'm in the same phase. I've had two winning seasons my entire career. One of them being, well, three. One of them being with Drew Brees, one of them being at. At Tampa Bay, and the other one, I had a winning season before I got hurt. Like, outside of that, man, out of 10 years, only three, you know, so I know what it is like when your team is losing and you are one of the. The captains, you are the. You are the focal point of this entire franchise, and all of that falls on you. And you look at it like, man, I'm not no loser. Like, but why are we. Why are we losing? But he was like, it has to be something else. It has to be something deeper. It has to be rooted in the. In the culture, in the city or whatever for the reason that we're losing 20, 24.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Fifteen of the league's 32 starting quarterbacks were black, which was the most in a single week in NFL history. There are more black NFL quarterbacks in the league now than ever before. Your thoughts on how the position has evolved since your time arriving in this league?

[Jameis Winston]

Yeah, I think the position has evolved because it has evolved into what we can do best, and that's extend players with our legs and beat people in our arm when we have to. I think so. Again, growing up in Alabama, man, you were frowned upon. Like, oh, he's just an athlete. If he runs a sub 4, 6, you know, if he scrambles, if I scramble in the game, oh, he's just an athlete. He can't play quarterback. The quarterback position was defined as like, someone who can lead, lead the team, who's able to get all the troops together, and they follow him. Right. But when it came to us, it started that that wasn't the case. Like, they're not able to lead. You know, they just can win with their legs. So I'm so grateful for the people like Michael Vick, Cam, New people in my generation that were paving the way. Donovan McNabb, they were paving the way for me, consistently. Steve McNair. But it's even more because if you look at the old greats, the Doug Williams, the Warren Moons, the James Shaq Harris's, these people were. They were doing it in a pocket, right? And they try to. They try to neglect those people. When Warren Moon is still the only African American quarterback in the hall of Fame, right? And he had to go to Canada first.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Yes, he did.

[Jameis Winston]

Before he came into the NFL. So we have always been present, but I think now, with the advancement of these offensive minds who aren't looking at guys and judging guys like, can they fit in my offense? Like, what am I going to be able to do? And when I came in the league, it was. It was pretty much that. It was. It was like, is he going to be able to run my offense to my liking? But now you see it with Jaden Daniels. Why has he had the most iconic rookie year that we have seen is because Cliff Queensberry, he comes from that college system and he implements this for Jalen. So, no, for Jaden, now, it goes from like, oh, you got to learn to play, but you got to learn all the terminology. You got to do all this stuff. No, Jaden. Hey, what do you do best? I seen you college fan from Arizona. I seen you college fan from lsu. I see that you do these things best. Why don't we go and grab that and bring it to.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Do you feel you've had anybody like that for you in your NFL career?

[Jameis Winston]

I feel like that every time you have an offensive coordinator, you are called to be collaborative with that coach. And I think in my instance, I was always proven to my officer coordinators that I can be a guy that they can trust, and I never got to that extra mile of being able to collaborate with my offensive coordinators. When Byron Leftwich came in and I had Clyde Christian, like, I was a little bit more collaborative. I feel like Dirk Carter is one of the best offensive coordinators that I've had in terms of his preparation, in terms of his strategy. But I feel like me and him really didn't see eye to eye whether it was my personality or what his personality. So we didn't really have collaborative things. I just executed his offense to the best of my abilities. Now when I got with Sean, he was coming from Drew Brees, so he was like, hey, man, you had to prove to me, one, that you can play quarterback at a high level, and two, you got to show me that you can win football games. I did that with him, then I got hurt, and then the rest was history. Then Allen became my head coach, and he ain't never believed in me anyway. And then when I got to Cleveland, man, the same thing. I go to Cleveland because Kevin Stefanski just won 11 games with five different quarterbacks. And then when DeSean get Hurts, he called me off and say, I ain't calling the plays no more. I'm about to give it to Ken Dorsey. And I was like, okay. Like, well, I'm going to compete. I'm going to do whatever the.

[Stephen A. Smith]

But you wish he had kept calling plays, man.

[Jameis Winston]

Absolutely. And I shared this with Him I was like, coach, like, man, coach, Ken just got here, right? And we brought him in for Deshun, right? Like he is for dun. I came here for you, right, Because I saw what you have done. I wish your, your offense. I've seen quarterbacks be efficient. Like I'm talking about Kurt Cousins. Baker Mayfield had some of his best years with Kevin Stefanski early on. Like he took the Browns to the playoffs. Like seeing Joe Flacco come in and light it up last year. You know, obviously he's a Super bowl winning quarterback, but even like shout out to my dog, P.J. p.J. Walker led the team to beating the San Francisco 49ers last year. Like this, these are things that I know. He's a great head. He the two time coach of the year. And then when stuff hit the fan now it's like I gotta do what's best for me. And I think that's the thing where I have to start getting into that space where like, man, I have to start focusing on what's best for me and stop exhorting all my energy into trying to look out for other people's best interests.

[Stephen A. Smith]

So if you do that, and that involves picking another team in the National Football League, what message would you like to send to an NFL team that's looking for a quarterback right now?

[Jameis Winston]

Yeah, the message I would like to send for any NFL team is like I'm, I'm willing and able to win. I understand the importance of ball security. I know this first and foremost, man. But if you looking for somebody that, that has the winning in their DNA, if you look at somebody that they can really rally the troops and get people to fight, not from just a bullying standpoint, but from an inspirational standpoint and from an action standpoint. I let my actions speak. I lead by example. I'm the one in the building. I'm the last one to leave. My preparation is unmatched. So I'm willing and able to do whatever it is required to be a Super bowl winning quarterback. But what that does that, that, that requires trust. That trust has to be earned. But I want someone to actually give me a chance, give me a chance to dedicate their time and energy into like, man, how can we make, how can we allow this guy to be his best?

[Stephen A. Smith]

And you're talking about somebody. I'm not. Let me interrupt and interpret. I'm sorry to interrupt you. You're basically talking about somebody that looks at you and says, look, I'm gonna give you a fair shot. I actually believe in you. Not somebody that settles for you, not somebody that tolerates you because of whatever circumstances exist. Somebody that looks at you and you know, by looking at them, they believe in me. I got to show up and produce.

[Jameis Winston]

For them for sure.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That's basically what you're saying.

[Jameis Winston]

Yes, that's basically what I'm saying. Like, hey, hey, man, like, okay, you my guy. I'm gonna give you an opportunity to be my guy. Let's surround you with everything that you require, right? And let's involve you in that process, right? Let's go back and look at your top 10 concepts, right? Let's make sure that those are in. Right? Let's go back and see like, do are you how you extend plays? Like, what type of receivers have you had success with? And let's, let's put that together and then we're gonna give you a shot. Now if you screw that up now, we have a reason to go ahead, wipe our hands with you, and then let you go. But, man, I just. The thing, the accessory that I am to a locker room in general is contagious, man. Like when you look at how Brown's locker room was, man, like, I'm a solution oriented guy. Like, when you are in going through the length of a season and you're losing, like that is a recipe of disaster. People start looking the clock out. But when you have someone like me on the team, like, we not. It's not, it's not that because we all in. And it's a certain standard because we get paid to do this. No matter if we going out there and losing, no matter we going out there and winning, we get paid to give our best. And I want to be more on the winning side than that losing side, man, I'm tired of it.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Before I let you get on out of here because I know you got to go. And I really appreciate your time, man. Really. Thank you. Thank you for being here. You get a chance to watch any college football, man?

[Jameis Winston]

I did.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Cam Ward, Shador Sanders, who you going with?

[Jameis Winston]

Man, I'm a big fan of Shador. I'm a huge fan of Shadura. Just because over the course of his life we watched his kids show up and show out, man. I remember when Prime Medea had a show showing their high school football team. So we saw him, man. And I think in today's NFL you have to have a quarterback that is poised in all circumstances and has dealt with some type of adversity. I think when Shadora came out and realized that, like, man, I'm not getting the opportunities that I want in the college football ram. So I'm going to listen to my father's advice. I'm going to go to hbcu. I'mma develop a platform there and then grow my way up into someone wanting me. And then now I'm going to go to Colorado, a place where, you know, known like Corder, Cordell Stewart and people like that. I'm going to go to this place where people going to be like, oh, you can't have success there. Like, how you going to go to Colorado?

[Stephen A. Smith]

I got you. But the problem with him is his arm strength isn't considered as big as Cam Ward. He can't run like Cam Ward can run. And you just finished talking about coming out of Alabama what you. What your gift was, but how they wanted to encourage, you know, they wanted to encourage you to run and you wanted to show that you could throw. Well, now we playing in the NFL, they want you to run, right? They want you to show you can run. Plus they want that arm strength.

[Jameis Winston]

Right?

[Stephen A. Smith]

And Shador Sanders, whose poise I love and I love his moxie and I love what he brings to the table. I can't ignore that advantage Cam Ward has.

[Jameis Winston]

Right? Well, the intangibles are the intangibles. But let's go back to, like, what does he do? Great, right? He throws great on rhythm. He's a very accurate quarterback.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Talking about Shador.

[Jameis Winston]

Talking about Shador.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Okay.

[Jameis Winston]

He's great in rhythm. He's a very accurate quarterback. So how about you go with, hey, coaches, officer coordinators, a couple offensive coordinators that don't require a superstar quarterback. Some of them might be in nfc, they don't require that. And they develop a scheme around them to get the ball out on a. Get the ball out of their quarterback's hands on time. They don't put their quarterback in high pressure situations because they have a good running game. And they escort their quarterback all the way up to nfc, I mean, to championship games. And then they show. Now, quarterback, you're on this big stage. Can you make a play for us when it matters most? And I think Shador has more intangibles than a lot of other guys. Like, not everybody can throw the ball 80 yards, right? Not everybody has a, has a cannon. But we've got guys in this league and guys that have had success in the league. I look at it from like this Drew Brees, who was electric, like, I grew up watching Drew Brees from 09 to 18, right? 18 was the last year where he really was stretching the ball down the field vertically and picking people apart with his arm strength. And then as I continue to watch fam on Drew Brees, he started to just do it with his mind. And I think Shador is far ahead of a lot of quarterbacks, especially coming out of this draft mentally like he trained. He's trained with Tom Brady, he has surrounded himself with guys that does the job the right way. So I know he has the mental makeup of a quarterback in this league right now despite his limitations. I know his work ethic. I know his daddy, his daddy is all of our favorite two time athlete of all time. So I know the preparation that he's going to put in in just the pedigree that he comes from that he's not going to get to this league and be slight or not give everything because he got a name to live up to. Ken Ward on the man, he's very talented. I think he's did a lot of good stuff. I don't know, I don't know his makeup. I haven't studied more. I haven't seen him right. I saw him do his thing in Washington State, I saw him come down to Miami and obviously ball. But I think in today's world you have to see quarterbacks that have went through adversity. And I think that's one thing that the nil in college football allows you to see with these quarterbacks. When you look at Bo Nix and Jane Daniels from, from last year, Bo had to be told like, because he from Alabama too. Bo had to be told, Bo, I mean I know you Alabama's greatest, but man, you have to go somewhere else to show us that you really can play. Because Alabama like he was, they counted him out.

[Stephen A. Smith]

That's right.

[Jameis Winston]

They like he not, he not there for us. He went through that adversity, went to Oregon, stood out and came look at Michael Penix, Michael Pennix, they, they out. He's 24 years old, man. He has some ACL, ACL injury, injuries he had overcome. Man. He was at Indiana, he didn't do that in Indiana, went to Washington, showed him, man, I came through adversity now, man, look this guy looking like free Steve McNell back there in the pocket and Jaden Daniels, man, I had the opportunity to sit with Ryan Clark and his son was Jaden's teammate in Arizona State and to hear the stories of how those his teammates now at Arizona State was throwing stuff out his locker when he went to lsu talking about he ain't gonna be nothing, he ain't gonna be that and then him to go to LSU after knowing the adversity because he's a West coast kid, to win that Heisman Trophy and to come and have one of the most historic years in the NFL, it is required for you to have some type of adversity because if you coming in the league at 24, 25, 26 these days, it's required for you to have to go through some type of adversity. So we don't have to go through the growing pains if we do choose you to be our quarterback early on in this process, before I let you.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Get on out of here, I'd be remiss and neglecting to bring up the super bowl because I know you got to go Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs who's going to win this game and what is it going to take to win this game?

[Jameis Winston]

Well, I'm not going to give you a pick on who's going to win this game, but I'm a person about the trenches, man. Kansas City has one of the most dominant defensive linemen in this league in Chris Jones and he lines up all over the place. So they're going to be trying to find different ways to get him matched up against any Eagles offensive line because it's a blick, it's a brick wall up front. Let's just be real. And Steve Spagnolia does a great job of designing pressures to attack soft spots of the Eagles officer line, but their main focus is going to be to eliminate Saquon Barkley from getting to the second level and I think in Cleveland, not Cleveland, but the Kansas City's defensive line with the where Chris Jones has the opportunity to wreck an offense by the offensive coordinator just calling the play and they not knowing what 95 is going to be. So it's going to be a few plays where he's just going to make plays because he's he's missed. It's a mismatch. Well on the other side, Jalen Caller, he primarily lines up on the right side and with Creed Humphrey and Trey Smith who is looking for that big payday, he going to have to show up and show out and show that he can consistently beat Jalen Carter because he's going to line up on the right side. The Eagles are simple that you know what they're going to be in, you know where the players are going to line up. It's just about out execute their team. It's going to start with the trenches, it's going to finish with the trenches. If The Eagles dominate the line of scrimmage and win the. The. The point of attack. They will win this game if Kansas City continues to do it, because they find a way to win every single game. If it's a high scoring game or a low scoring game, we know if it comes down to the crutch, Kansas City has a magical formula to win close games when it matters most.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You know, you said you were a winner. You didn't know anything about losing until you got to the NFL. I think it's appropriate to bring this up. Thank you for being on the show, former Heisman Trophy winner. Thank you, former national champion. We need to remember that the one and only Jameis Winston right here with Stephen A. Appreciate you, man. All the best to you, and I hope you land someplace with an offensive line.

[Jameis Winston]

Yes, sir. Thank you.

[Stephen A. Smith]

You. Good Lord have mercy. It doesn't matter what you can do if you don't have an offensive line.

[Jameis Winston]

Jamis.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Don't go any place that they don't have an offensive line. Just don't go.

[Jameis Winston]

Just don't go. No, that's why I told you. It's about. It's about the scheme. It's about who we got.

[Stephen A. Smith]

All right?

[Jameis Winston]

Yes, sir. Thank you, brother. Geico's motorcycle expertise means I'm covered by people who know bikes like I do. I'm happy as a clam.

[Geico Representative]

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[Jameis Winston]

It just meant that I feel really good about my coverage.

[Geico Representative]

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[Stephen A. Smith]

It's Greg Rosenthal, and I'm teaming up with the King of spring, Daniel Jeremiah. He requires me to say that we're.

[Geico Representative]

Going to be bringing you 40s and.

[Stephen A. Smith]

Free agents, the only podcast you'll need.

[Geico Representative]

This NFL draft season.

[Stephen A. Smith]

From DJs, mock drafts to my top 101 free agents, we'll have it covered.

[Geico Representative]

For you with all new episodes every Thursday, keeping you up to date as.

[Stephen A. Smith]

We head to the NFL Draft.

[Geico Representative]

Listen to 40s and free agents starting.

[Stephen A. Smith]

On March 6th on the iHeartRadio app.

[Geico Representative]

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.