Leading By Example
September 21st, 2017
Leadership starts here.
Yeah, Joe believes the word “leader” can often, as Hall of Fame linebacker Jack Ham once said, be little more than “rhetoric.”
We’ve seen video of America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, getting his teammates fired up before a game. OK, some call that leadership, fine.
But it’s not just about being vocal. Take middle linebacker Kwon Alexander. who has made it a daily habit of meeting with defensive coordinator Mike Smith an hour or so before players are expected to arrive at One Buc Palace each day. Alexander and Smith go over film, have a chalk-talk, or just get a heads-up on the day’s goals.
Alexander started this last year when Smith came aboard and the two have formed a tight bond as a result. Sort of like father and son. Well, because Alexander was making the extra effort, rookie linebacker Kendall Beckwith saw this and decided, if it’s good enough for Alexander, it ought to work for him too. So Beckwith joined in the daily morning football coffee klatch.
Yes, Jameis is the leader for the Bucs. Has been since he first walked through the front door of One Buc Palace the morning after he was drafted. And Jenna Laine of ESPN documented a way Jameis leads and influences his teammates without saying a word, and it isn’t his habit of beating everyone to work.
As we all saw on “Hard Knocks,” winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter isn’t afraid to chew Jameis’ arse off if he screws up. The fact Jameis never snaps at Koetter, even if some may think Koetter is too harsh, has resonated with the rest of the team, right tackle Demar Dotson told Laine.
“When you see that your leader can be yelled at and talked to any kind of way, everybody else better fall in line,” Dotson said. “Like, ‘Who are you to get mad at your coach for coaching you up if your leader can take [that] coaching?'”
It is a very cool story Laine has. It shows Jameis’ discipline. Koetter sometimes hounds Jameis mercilessly, striving for Jameis to be great, and Jameis absorbs every word with little more than an acknowledgement of Koetter’s demands.
Sometimes leaders don’t have to say a word.
September 21st, 2017 at 12:11 am
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September 21st, 2017 at 2:16 am
Really exciting to hear about Beckwith coming in Kwon, and the story on Jameis is awesome.
We’ve got some super young, super talented leaders that should be able to captain this team for years to come! It seems the pillars of this team are being built correctly for the first time in a long time.
September 21st, 2017 at 6:45 am
Dotson … ‘Who are you to get mad at your coach for coaching you up if your leader can take [that] coaching?’ Not sure I’d consider that an example of leadership on Jameis’ part. Being smart? For sure. Leadership? Well I guess if knowing when to keep quiet as opposed to upstaging your leader is leadership, then OK. Dirk Koetter, being a highly experienced coach, knows which ‘buttons to push’ (in a motivational way) on probably all his players to get the results that he needs. Didn’t another offensive-minded Bucs’ HC, Jon Gruden, use a similar approach with guys like Warren Sapp?
September 21st, 2017 at 6:57 am
I don’t mean this in a negative way, but yeah, we all know by now that Jameis is a leader. At least all of us Bucs fans.
September 21st, 2017 at 7:39 am
I’m just glad we’re finally beginning to talk about the defense.
September 21st, 2017 at 8:10 am
The television commentator on Sunday, not Dick Stockton, made mention of Jameis leadership, when Chuck Sims fumbled the ball, there was Jameis trying to strip it from Leonard Floyd to help his team out. He says when players see that instead of him running out of the way, as a teammate you get fired up
September 21st, 2017 at 8:21 am
Jeor Mormont, Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch said to Jon Snow –
“You want to be a leader? , then learn how to follow”
September 21st, 2017 at 8:44 am
Joe always pushes Winston as a leader but how about pushing Winston to be more accurate is should be his !st job. Anyone on the team can be a leader but not the qb.
September 21st, 2017 at 10:05 am
Gotta love Dem LSU LB,s. David, Alexander and Beckwith…tell me a Better LB trio in the NFL.
September 21st, 2017 at 10:08 am
I should clarify. I Know David is not a product of LSU. Just meant that our LB talent is pretty good and may become great.
September 21st, 2017 at 10:52 am
Ben
We do not trust your eyeballs. Can you give us some stats documenting #3’s inaccuracy?
70% in pre season this year…he’s been improving every year. People wish to focus on the pass DJAX did not come up with…or the pass where Sims was wide open…did Sims slow down a bit trying to fool the DB or did #3 simply overthow him.
And by all means let’s FOCUS on those negatives…why talk about the perfect pass he threw to ME13 in the end zone…or that pass to DJAX on the sideline near the end of the first half that let us get a quick three to close the half.
September 21st, 2017 at 12:21 pm
Rrsrq Says:
September 21st, 2017 at 8:10 am
The television commentator on Sunday, not Dick Stockton, made mention of Jameis leadership, when Chuck Sims fumbled the ball, there was Jameis trying to strip it from Leonard Floyd to help his team out. He says when players see that instead of him running out of the way, as a teammate you get fired up
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This just reminded me of the Bucs Redskins playoff game from 2005. Chris Simms threw a INT, tackled Arrington near the Washington goal line, caused a fumble and recovered it. He was ruled down by contact and no replay was allowed. That and two other plays were gimme calls that were blown. WORST OFFICIATING EVER
September 21st, 2017 at 2:06 pm
It works if the players respect the coach’s knowledge. It’s clear Winston has huge respect for both Koetter and Bajakian.
September 21st, 2017 at 2:21 pm
Beckwith coming in early with Kwon to learn from Smith and LVD is already a smart, pro bowl vet. Just a little frightened about what’s going on with Kwon’s hamstring right now, but if they can stay healthy through the year, this LB corp will be soo nasty.
September 21st, 2017 at 2:40 pm
Mike Clay just another national media rat that don’t know sheet about the Bucs. Jeff Saturday played good football so I’ll take his film analysis and input over Clay’s all day.