The year was 2019 and Jameis Winston was slinging the ball around the field for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The only problem was that he was throwing it to the other time way too much.
That season Jameis threw for 5,109 yards and 33 TDs. Yet he had Bucs fans and fantasy football owners tearing their hair out over his 30 INTs.
But this is the frustration Winston had given fans since entering the NFL in 2015.
He made the Pro Bowl in his rookie season but only led Tampa to one winning season (2016) in his five years with the team.
His stat line was good but never great.
After 2019, Jameis headed west to New Orleans and basically took classes at Drew Brees University for a year with the Saints. He appeared in four games and threw the ball 11 times for 75 yards.
Jameis’ career has been rife with promise but soiled in frustration and underachievement.
But now he’s the starting quarterback for New Orleans and has the opportunity for a second chance at living up to his potential as a college football champion, Heisman trophy winner, and number one draft pick.
Jameis the Seminole
Jameis Winston set things off for the Seminoles as a redshirt freshman.
In 2013, Winston led Florida State to a national championship. That year he also won honors such as the Davey O’Brien, Manning Award, and consensus All-American honors. He also became the youngest player ever to win the Heisman Trophy.
He is considered one of the greatest quarterbacks in Seminoles’ history. Over his 27 starts for the team, he won his first 26. His only loss came in the 2014 College Football Playoff Semifinal.
During his first year under center for Florida State, Jameis threw for 3,820 yards and 38 TDs and, according to Heisman.com, became “the first freshman to win the Heisman and lead his team to the National Championship in the same season.”
But that’s not all.
Winston was also a good baseball player for the university.
He was a two-time letterman for the Seminoles as a closer, reliever, outfielder, and designated hitter. He finished his career with a 1.94 ERA, nine saves, and a 2-2 record. Over this period, the Seminoles were a number 5 and 7 seed.
Jameis’ athletic talents are undeniable, but it wasn’t always all good for the Florida State star.
In 2012, Erica Kinsman, a fellow student at Florida State, accused Jameis of raping her. The matter didn’t become public until the following year.
Kinsman notified authorities, but they never interviewed Winston, and prosecutors declined to charge him.
In 2015, Kinsman sued Winston. In 2016, the parties settled out of court.
Kinsman also sued Florida State and won $950,000 that year.
It was a case that plagued him during his first two years in the NFL.
Jameis and the NFL
Jameis was drafted by the Bucs with the number one overall pick in 2015 and he made an immediate impact for the team.
He started all 16 games and threw for 4,042 yards with 22 TDs and 15 INTs. He was also selected to the Pro Bowl.
But he never achieved that level of individual success again, and the Bucs only had one winning season during his five years with the team.
After the 2019 season, the team declined to re-sign him and chose Tom Brady instead. They went on to win the Super Bowl while Jameis sat behind Drew Brees and Taysom Hill in New Orleans.
A year later, Brees is in broadcasting and Jameis is the Saints’ starter.
This is his chance for a new start in a city that needs a leader to help them navigate through another crisis.
A year after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans in 2005, Drew Brees and the Saints stepped up to help the city and its residents. Not only did they provide financial and physical support, but they provided hope by making it to the NFC Championship Game.
Brees transitioned into the unlikely hero the city needed and led its rejuvenation effort. For his work, he won the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
Three years later, Brees led them to a Super Bowl victory over New Orleans native Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. That victory forever solidified his status in the city and in the hearts of its residents.
Fast forward 12 years and it’s happened again.
Less than two weeks ago, New Orleans was slammed once again, this time by Hurricane Ida. Eleven days later, much of the city still lacks power and remains underwater.
Only now, Jameis Winston is under center for the Saints.
“It felt great [to be named the starter],” said Winston. “It’s just fun, it’s a blessing to have the opportunity to lead the pack. I’m just grateful for it. It’s been more than a year removed for me having an opportunity, and I’m not taking anything for granted. And I’m just blessed and grateful.”
Now he has a chance to show just how grateful he is, something he started through his Dream Forever Foundation. They delivered supplies such as food, water, generators, and roofing materials to first responders this week.
New Orleans presents Jameis with an opportunity to rebuild his career and endear himself to the city. An opportunity to capture the hearts of the people who are hurting and need a new Drew Brees to lead them out of this time of despair.
To his credit, Jameis recognizes the situation he faces.
“We’re blessed, we get to go out and play a game that we love,” said Jameis. “The majority of us, we have our families with us. And we’re just praying that everyone else’s families are safe and secure in New Orleans. But the objective is to bring some excitement to the people of New Orleans by going out there and winning football games. I think that will do a lot.”
2021 can be the moment Jameis Winston finally shines, both on the field and in the reeling streets of New Orleans.
He can show the NFL that he still has the talents he flashed at Florida State, and he can demonstrate to the state of Louisiana that an Alabama boy can help them win and rebuild.
Now it’s all up to Jameis to shed the demons of the past and guide the team and the city into the light like his predecessor.
