Jameis Winston is skipping the 2015 NFL Draft and it's been causing kind of an uproar. After all, if he expects to be a top pick, why wouldn't he be in Chicago when the Buccaneers are on the clock?
Winston answered that question after his pro day Tuesday, telling NFL Network he wants to be with his family, including his grandmother, who can't travel because she has Type-2 diabetes.
"My grandmother, she can’t travel, she has Type-2 diabetes and has multiple surgeries and I want her to be there," Winston said. "I want the people who I’ve been with Day 1 to be around me and enjoy this moment. It’s a celebration to me and it’s a once-in-a lifetime opportunity."
He mentioned too, interestingly, that "there's been a lot of pressure" on him to make it to Chicago and he hasn't entirely made up his mind yet.
"We really haven’t made that decision yet," Winston said. "There’s been a lot of pressure on people trying to get me to come and make the draft."
Makes you wonder who the pressure is coming from. The NFL? The Buccaneers? His agent? His family?
All would have decent reasons to get him on stage in Chicago if he's selected first overall. It's hard to fathom a No. 1 overall draft pick not being at the actual draft but that's the course Winston's headed on right now.
If he's doing it for his family, then he's got a very good reason.
More quotes from Winston during his NFL Network interview:
Off Field Issues
I changed after the Clemson game, just drastically. Because that’s the first time I’ve been told ‘No, you can’t play.’ When you see your teammates on that battlefield and you’re told ‘Nah dog, you can’t play.’ That hurt me. Because I’m a fun-loving guy. In other words, I was immature. All that other stuff is behind me.
I haven’t changed, I’ve just grown. I’ve grown into the role of being a quarterback and not just one of the guys. Being a quarterback
On the Buccaneers taking him No. 1
No indication. I’ve been doing what I’ve been doing. Actions speak so loud. I’ve been trying to do my thing on the field. Like you said, right now I can’t convince somebody that I’m different. What I can do is move forward and get better every day.
