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ROSE BOWL GAME: OREGON v FLORIDA STATEDecember 28, 2014Jameis WinstonPASADENA, CALIFORNIA JAMEIS WINSTON: I plan, prepare for the game. That's all I do. But I've got to watch it. Nick O'Leary won the award, so that was big for the team. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: I think it just was a fun experience all around. We're still young, so we don't get worn out easily, but New York was pretty tiring. It was just fun. It was a once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: No, it wasn't. I mean, obviously I could have went as a winner, but I wanted to stay home. I got a chance to spend some time with my teammates, things I didn't do last year, and be with my family. Study for exams. That was very important because academics are important. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: And yeah, I got a chance to read to some kids, so that was fun. Q. You were in Tallahassee? JAMEIS WINSTON: Yes. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: We're staying in LA Live. Where we're staying is probably more, the most thing that is standing out to me, and I think the game is the matchup of the century, I guess, Oregon versus Florida State, and it's going to be a fun game. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: Well, I'll probably be able to reflect on last year when this season is over, but I'm still focused on this season and doing what we have to do. I'm not really thinking about last year. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: I'm not going to blame none of my guys. I forced a lot of passes this year, but it's a learning thing. That's one thing people don't look at. It's not about you playing when everything is going good. It's how you react when things are going bad and things are not going your way, and the fact that I have tremendous teammates that help me overcome all the turnovers that I have this year just makes me smile. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: I said I have forced more passes. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: No, you know, most of my interceptions came from pressures. Anticipation is a big part of my game, so when people are not at the right spot at the right time, it can lead to turnovers. Q. Have you ever faced this much adversity versus interceptions and things not going your way? JAMEIS WINSTON: Never. I've never had a season like this, but it's good to have a season like this. Q. How does it make you better as a quarterback? JAMEIS WINSTON: I think it actually makes me better as a quarterback because things are not always going good, and when you get to the next level or even in life, when things are not going your way, you just can't hide up under a bridge or hide up under a rock. You've got to keep going, and it makes it more about your teammates and trying to win the game for them, and you can't worry about your individual statistics? Q. How do you feel like you've grown as a quarterback, as a leader for the team? JAMEIS WINSTON: Well, I feel like I get better every day. No matter the adversity I do face with interceptions or turnovers, I feel like I can just get people to play better than what they are capable of playing with, just because of the way that I motivate them, the way I talk to them and the way that I'm all in for them. Karlos said that he can run a 4.2, I can motivate Karlos to run a 4.1. Q. How? JAMEIS WINSTON: Just the way I do things. I believe I'm a confident guy, but I believe I have more confidence in my teammates than they have in themselves. Q. How do you measure yourself? JAMEIS WINSTON: Well, I measure myself by probably the win column. When you do all those things‑‑ like the Florida game, I had four interceptions in that game, three interceptions in the first quarter, and we still pulled that game off. Yeah, it's a defensive effort, but those guys don't see me on the sidelines saying, hey, it's your fault. They don't see me with my head down. I said, we're still going to win this game. I know I messed up but I know I'm going to come through in the clutch, and they know I'm going to come through in the clutch. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: Perseverance has been a big thing in our game, and the will to win is more important than anything. We go into a game wanting to win and not hoping not to lose. This team is special. We've got a ton of competitors and a ton of guys that enjoy winning, and I think when you have guys that enjoy winning and cherish winning, you do anything to keep that alive. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: Well, you know, a great quarterback can be born, but you've got to‑‑ when you have opportunities in front of you to make yourself a great quarterback, you've got to take them, and that comes from film preparation, studying, and wanting to know the game, how you act when you're with your teammates and how you just do things every day. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: Never, because those guys can't see my confidence wavering. Obviously I study more and I spend more time than I might be, oh, what am I doing, why am I doing this. But at the end of the day, my job is to be a quarterback and a leader to those guys. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: Just in my abilities. I believe even if I'm having a bad game, I know when the time gets rough, I think I'm better than anybody in a hard time than anyone in the country. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: Well, I don't want to fill you in on no secrets, but there haven't been no messages at halftime. It's just, hey, stop messing up, go out there and do what you do. It's not been much of a difference, it's just we turned on the switch because we persevere and we compete. We don't feel comfortable when we're losing, and that's not how we‑‑ it just feels awkward, so we feel like we've got to get on top somehow. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: No, because it's a different football game. We don't go in saying like Oregon hasn't done this and Oregon hasn't done that. We don't worry about that. We worry about how we play and how we do things. It's a great team versus another great team, so it's going to be a great battle. Q. (Inaudible)? JAMEIS WINSTON: Obviously an accomplishment for our team because that's hard to do, to come back over and over and over again, and some teams can't do that. That's why we're probably still the only undefeated team this year, because we have guys that do not want to lose, and we have guys that love to win. At the end of the day, it's a team effort. It's not about everyone's individual and who brought us back or who did what. At the end of the day, we still have a W in that win column. Q. Is winning the best revenge to (inaudible)? JAMEIS WINSTON: It can be. But my biggest thing from everything and all the people talking about me is I still have that team. I still have my team. My team loves me, and that locker room is just amazing to me because that's my real family. What people think about me is none of my business, really. It's not like I just look up what people say about me all the time. I really don't know what the word around the street is, but I love my team, and I love winning. That's something I do love. As long as I have football in my life and as long as I have a great family, no one‑‑ what people say is never going to bother me. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: I don't know. You know, I can't really explain it to you. I mean, last year it was funny because people talked about the way we won, and they blew everybody out like it's a fluke. This year we're having close games, and last year we couldn't play in a close game or lose. Championship we proved that. I don't know, perception is reality like I say. If they say we're not a good team, okay. We just keep playing and we just love this game so much, we don't focus on that. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: It's great. Rashad and Nick O'Leary are really my only returning receivers, so obviously we have a better connection than some of the young guys. But just having him and having Nick, it's a blessing to me. Those guys are so good. Q. The way Rashad runs his routes, how nice is it for a quarterback to know he's going to be exactly where you're supposed to throw the ball? JAMEIS WINSTON: Well, if I knew where everyone was when I was supposed to throw the ball, I probably wouldn't have 17 interceptions, but Rashad is just so tremendous. I'm truly blessed to have him. I'm still mad that he's not viewed as one of the best receivers in college football. I think he's so underrated and he's so great. Q. How much does that bother you? JAMEIS WINSTON: That Rashad doesn't get any attention? Oh, it tears me up because I know if I didn't have that guy‑‑ Rashad was our leading receiver last year and he's our leading receiver this year. If I didn't have that guy, I don't know where I'd be right now. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: Two peas in a pod. Just that close. He's my brother. Me and Rashad got close when all that stuff happened last year after the Syracuse game. I used to stay at his house all night, and he became my older brother, and I love that man. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: Nice living quarters out there. You just can go out there and the Staples Center is right there. There's a lot of stuff going on, get to see people. It's fun. Being in Tallahassee I've got to stay in the house all the time. You never know who's around, stuff like that. But just being able to look at the beauty of the city, it's fun. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: His efficiency. You talk about a guy that had 38 touchdowns and only two interceptions, that's special. I think he has all the tools. He's fast, has a great arm, and he leads the team. Quietly, but he leads the team, and those guys rally up behind him, and he affects everyone around him, and I think that's the best thing about him is his performance and the things he does affect everyone around him. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: Just relaxing, and he was just talking to me like keep your head up. You know you did nothing wrong, man. It's more about your team. It's about these guys. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: Yeah, he is. Everyone follows Rashad definitely, and everyone has respect for that guy because he's such a great person. We just love him. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: Never really. I just usually go on Instagram now and look at pictures and stuff. I rarely just hop on Twitter or anything. If something is being said about me and someone does a screen shot and is showing me, I'm like, why are you sending me that, man? Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: Those things never bother me.  Obviously I know that I'm under a microscope, so that's different, and that's why I say in Tallahassee I've just got to sit in because people will tweet about you for walking down the street backwards. You've just got to chill. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: Yeah, it has. I love being around my teammates, and the only time I can be around them is in the locker room. I can't celebrate with them, can't do nothing with them, but it comes with the territory. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: Yeah, I have a couple friends over. My teammates basically. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: Every Saturday it gets me through the season because I know I've got something to look forward to on Saturday, and that's playing football. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: Well, I mean, playing this game, you've always got to work on something different. This year my plan was to work on my release and quicken up my release, but when you're playing the game, stuff comes up to the surface, and that's something to work on in the long run. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: Well, I know a lot about Oregon's defense, period. I hate we don't get a chance to play against him. He's a great corner, but we played against P.J. Williams, Ronald Darby, Jalen Ramsey, Tyler Hunter, on a daily basis. We see them every day, and I believe those guys are as good as he is, so we weren't really worried. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: Well, every defense gets better as the season goes on, but I believe they're a talented defense. Their D‑line is huge. They have some hybrid linebackers that can cover the pass and stop the run, and the secondary is really good. I mean, it's going to be an all‑around battle, and that's the fun thing about football. We're battling, battling for that W, battling for pride and respect. It's going to be a great game. Q. (Inaudible.) JAMEIS WINSTON: It's not surprising at all because the work that they put in in the summer and the things that we've did in the summer to allow them to be the players that they are, Dalvin Cook is tremendous. We get that guy the ball 40 times a game, he'd have Melvin Gordon numbers. Rod Johnson, tremendous job. I think he's going to be definitely a top‑five pick when he comes out, our left tackle. And I give that to the offensive line, because they are seeing him and accepting him as a young guy and they allow him to step into their circle, and Travis Rudolph, and a young person like Kermit and Bobo, they just came a long way, and it comes from the preparation we had in the summer. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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