Jameis Winston – The Kind of Player Who Changes a Franchise

This is about Jameis Winston, and it’s strictly about Jameis Winston the football player.
On Sunday I witnessed the kind of player who changes a franchise.
On Saturday, on a conference call with him I sensed a player, a rookie, who has not only won over his teammates, but the kind of figure whose teammates will go to the ends of the earth to support on the field.
I also saw, when he was 11-years old, notes he had made, diagramming plays and how he would attack defenses he sees now in the NFL. Amazing.
This kid knew all along what he wanted to do, wanted to be, and is doing it.
Sunday, Winston, a life-long fan of the Philadelphia Eagles, finally got to face the team of his dreams.
And he shredded them to the tune of five touchdown passes, matching an NFL rookie mark, and maybe better yet, avoided throwing an interception for, the fifth time in six games. There were no fumbles as well.
The Bucs have been bottom-feeders for several years.
They have brought new, young faces in the past few years, like running back Doug Martin, who ran for a phenomenal 225 yards Sunday and was probably the number one factor in the Bucs stunning rout of the Eagles.
A number of years ago, a successful NFL General Manager told me you can’t win a championship  in this league without a franchise quarterback who can lead a team down the field in the final minutes to tie or win the game
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers now have that guy.
Without question he will have those meltdown games. Really bad ones. This year and beyond. They all do. And the one caveat remains. Winston’s character, conduct, and temperament can’t go off the tracks as we’ve already seen.
But the undeniable fact is , that in less than a season in his rookie year, thrown into the breach on a team that had no idea how to win, Jameis Winston has turned the Bucs into a club that will grab your attention for years to come.