Jameis Winston said he dreams of being ‘the type of quarterback’ Tom Brady is
Leading up to Thursday night’s Patriots-Buccaneers contest, Jameis Winston wasn’t exactly sure what he was going to say to Tom Brady during the pair’s first-ever meeting.
The 2013 Heisman Trophy winner was, nevertheless, looking forward to the moment. He told the media on Wednesday, “One thing I learned from Kurt Warner was to take advantage of your moments. That’s going to be a great moment to see one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game line up against you in [Raymond James Stadium].”
Following New England’s 19-14 victory, Winston met up with Brady and got a chance to speak to his childhood idol. While the 23-year-old elected to keep the details of their conversation private, he called the meeting “a blessing.”
“I just said, ‘It was an honor.’ I told him thank you. A lot,” he said, via ESPN. “That’s a blessing, man, to meet someone like that. I dream to be able to be the type of quarterback he is for his team to our team.”
Winston hasn’t be shy about his admiration for Brady. Prior to the start of Tampa Bay’s minicamp, he shared a photo on Instagram with the caption: “I’m thinking of a master plan… Gotta win some rings to look like Brady’s hand.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BVNujmrjEW6/?hl=en&taken-by=jaboowins3
“His ability to protect the football and take advantage of those opportunities when they are given to him is impeccable,” he told reporters. “Just studying him, just seeing how calm he is, how precise he is, is very impressive.”
“That is the reason why every offseason, every rep I get during the season,” the young quarterback continued. “I’m trying to be better and better because I know that he’s still out there playing. He’s still getting better and better. He should be an inspiration.”
Although his team ultimately lost the scrappy Thursday night game, Winston calls his postgame chat with Brady “another highlight” of his night.
“It was a privilege and an honor to meet him, to look him in his eye, to shake his hand. It felt good,” he said. “I hate that he beat me, but he beats a lot of people.”
Of course, the praise is by no means one-sided. In his postgame comments, Brady expressed mutual respect for Bucs’ rising star.
“He’s a great young player, and he obviously led the team back tonight,” the 40-year-old said. “They were very close. He’s got a great future.”
The five-time Super Bowl champ also acknowledged how he still finds learning opportunities from the younger players in the league.
“I watch those guys and try to learn from them,” Brady said. “When I was young, I learned from the older guys. And now that I’m older, I’m trying to learn from the young guys.”
