Inside Insight On Winston, Smith
May 9th, 2015
CB Stephon Morris, a former member of the Patriots on a tryout with the Bucs, talked about his former Penn State teammate LT Donovan Smith and what he finds special about QB Jameis Winston.
Cornerback Stephon Morris of Penn State is one of the players on the proverbial outside-looking-in. He’s trying out for the Bucs this weekend, hoping for an invite to training camp.
Last year, Morris was in the same situation with the Patriots.
He showed enough to be invited to the Patriots training camp in 2014, but was cut early in camp after he pulled a hamstring.
Just judging by the records, Joe’s going to go out on a limb and guess it was harder to make the Super Bowl champs’ roster compared to the team that won the Chase for Jameis.
Morris for Winnipeg of the CFL last year and played with Bucs rookie left tackle Donovan Smith at Penn State. So Joe wanted to get a different perspective about Smith than those of draftniks and Bucs coaches, if not Smith himself.
Morris, of course, scrimmaged daily against Smith. So Morris would know Smith likely better than anyone currently at One Buc Palace. Joe asked Morris what he thought about the claim by some draftniks that Smith was lazy or uninspiring?
“There are no lazy players at Penn State,” Morris said. “Coach [Joe] Paterno was not going to recruit any lazy players; that’s No. 1. And the second thing, the way that Coach Paterno coached, he’s an old school coach he was always in people’s ears. If you were lazy, you would never make it.
“Then [Bill O’Brien] came and he pretty much took on the same mentality. Donovan Smith is a great player. He worked hard every time I saw him. Every time I saw him he worked hard. A great kid.
“I thought, ‘Gosh, this kid really doesn’t know how great he can be.’ That is the main thing always knew he was going to be something special. He just needed the right coach to put something special together for him.”
Now Morris wasn’t about to suggest he knew Patriots quarterback Tom Brady well. But ironically, last evening at dinner, Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston sat down next to Morris after Jameis learned Morris was in Patriots camp last year.
Jameis, Morris said, began peppering Morris with questions about what made Brady elite.
“He was like, ‘How was Brady? He was a surgeon, huh?'” Morris said of Jameis’ conversation. “I told him, man, Brady would throw into windows with this much space [Morris holding up his hands just inches apart]. And the other thing I told [Jameis] what I liked about Brady was that he competed every day. A lot of times you have guys in an NFL locker room that once they have arrived [they coast]. Brady, he worked his butt off. He is such a hard worker.
“Once I told Jameis that, he gave me that little smile and I thought, ‘Man, this kid has got it. It was a smile like, ‘OK, I know what I need to do.’ As far as the work ethic and the things that you need — this was the first time I met him and when I saw his camradrie with the rest of the team, I can see why Florida State won a national championship. You can just tell.”
May 9th, 2015 at 5:25 pm
I hope Delson likes this article.
May 9th, 2015 at 5:26 pm
Everything is sounding good so far. This will be fun to watch as we go forward.
May 9th, 2015 at 5:32 pm
Another day, another hundred Winston stories.
May 9th, 2015 at 5:36 pm
No one is forcing you to read this everyday. You’re addicted to the daily content like the rest of us
May 9th, 2015 at 5:42 pm
Good stuff! He is born for this. Keep him upright and we will do just fine.
May 9th, 2015 at 5:44 pm
Drdneast, shut it
May 9th, 2015 at 5:52 pm
Even if you are not a fan of Winston, as Buc fan stories like this have to give you hope.
May 9th, 2015 at 6:00 pm
Hope is a terrible thing isn’t it bucs fans Haha
We still need a lot of peices but maybe just maybe we are on the path
May 9th, 2015 at 6:24 pm
Why is ANYONE surprised that there would be a massive amount of content about our new draft pick—especially when he went first overall and is a QB.
I see comments like drdneast’s, and just see sour grapes from the Mariota Mob.
SUCK IT UP.
May 9th, 2015 at 6:27 pm
OK, I have to ask everyone who is anti-Winston a serious question. How can you consider yourselves Bucs fans and not now also be Winston fans? I get it if you wanted Mariota more or even a defensive player to be picked with our first pick but now that Winston is our QB, I can’t understand how anyone who is a Bucs fan can be anti-Winston at this point. It would be like a Patriot fan rooting against Brady. I am sorry but that kind of thinking to me seems a little bit contradictory. I want to know every shred of news on Winston and I really want him to become an all time great not just for Bucs history but for NFL history. If you hate Winston then you hate the Bucs in my opinion. Now if you would rather see Glennon be our starting QB, then that is fine as he is also a Buc and we should all also support him however I would not wager any cash that Glennon will beat out Winston as our starting QB. Time to quit hating on our QB. He is, like it or not a Buc now, so support him or find a new team.
May 9th, 2015 at 7:00 pm
I must say that I thought most “Winstonites” would come back down to earth and be rational and cordial once we drafted Winston. I can see by all the backlash at DrNeast that I was sadly mistaken. All he did was complain about the overcoverage of JW meaning the lack of coverage on the other 52 guys that will make the team and all the other good coaching stuff.
Guys you got Exactly what you wanted. Why still mad?
May 9th, 2015 at 7:01 pm
Come on guys……lets root for our players to do well..what kind of fan doesn’t do that?
Even if the player wasn’t your first choice, it’s time to support our team and that means giving every player…Vet, Draftee, UDFA, Tryouts……the benefit of the doubt.
To me, I really have to question a “fan” who continues to spew negativity day after day when we should be supportive.
Sure, you have a right to your opinions….but you have expressed them plenty of times…..its time to move on.
May 9th, 2015 at 7:04 pm
On the other hand I am glad that we now have a fearless pocket QB because let’s face it guys……….We have some Awesome weapons for JW to access. Three WRs over 6’5″ that are ALL more athletic than KB!!! If the OL gels it is gonna be some different times for Bucs fans.
May 9th, 2015 at 7:05 pm
Hey TBBF are you still here?
May 9th, 2015 at 7:16 pm
Daggum TBBF is more elusive than Pablo
May 9th, 2015 at 7:31 pm
#BUCSFANSUNITE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
May 9th, 2015 at 7:33 pm
@Gator..Buc
I float like a butterfly….sting like a bee….
Come and go….catch me if you can….the price you pay for mountain time
May 9th, 2015 at 7:45 pm
j u s t c a n ‘ t c on t i n u e t o r e a d a l l t h i s n e g a t i v e c r a p!
If your not a Buc’s fan…please go somewhere else and spout your wisdom and let us Buc fans enjoy the moment.
May 9th, 2015 at 8:44 pm
glad I pre-ordered my Jameis Winston jersey today.
May 9th, 2015 at 9:13 pm
Every comment here is proving Joe’s philosophy and reinforcing his editorial judgement.
Carry on. 🙂
May 9th, 2015 at 11:32 pm
I thought we should’ve took Mariota because of all of Winston’s baggage. I think they both are going to be very good and I picked Mariota because he was the safer pick but make no mistake….now I am a Winston fan and so far I like what I see!
May 10th, 2015 at 12:30 am
Clint Says:
May 9th, 2015 at 8:44 pm
“glad I pre-ordered my Jameis Winston jersey today.”
So did I from Erik from Athletics.com.
Only he skipped out on giving me my jersey. May his business go under and he goes bankrupt someday!
May 10th, 2015 at 3:38 am
I was squarely in the mariota camp but now that jameis is on our team im definately rooting for him. Thanks joe for the daily updates joe keep them coming.
May 10th, 2015 at 3:47 am
Gator – Bucs Says:
May 9th, 2015 at 7:00 pm
I must say that I thought most “Winstonites” would come back down to earth and be rational and cordial once we drafted Winston. I can see by all the backlash at DrNeast that I was sadly mistaken. All he did was complain about the overcoverage of JW meaning the lack of coverage on the other 52 guys that will make the team and all the other good coaching stuff.
Guys you got Exactly what you wanted. Why still mad?
——————————
I don’t know if you notice, but when Joe does an article on a player other than Jameis, there is not that many comments. There is a reason why Joe is getting traffic and it is because of Famous Jameis. And make no mistake, all of the national media is in Tampa to cover Jameis. Donovan Smith is not the story. Deal with it!!!! Its as simple as that.
May 10th, 2015 at 4:51 am
[…] But Licht isn’t a usually one creation that comparison. This time, a quote’s from cornerback Stephon Morris, a third-year undrafted giveaway representative who is participating in a Bucs’ minicamp this year. Morris was with a New England Patriots behind in 2013 when he initial entered a league, and Jameis Winston wanted to know all about Brady from Morris, or so a cornerback told JoeBucsFan. […]
May 10th, 2015 at 6:50 am
It seems like everyone that’s complaining about the coverage on the site would learn to use the “read more” button to their advantage. As in, don’t click it if you’re not interested in reading more
May 10th, 2015 at 10:26 am
Let the Legend of Jaemis be built upon the blogging granite of JBF.
May 10th, 2015 at 11:38 am
Dear Joe,
I was wondering how has Marcus Mariota fared in his beginning with the Titans?
An ongoing comparison would be an interesting thread!
May 11th, 2015 at 8:31 am
[…] same breath as the elite quarterbacks of the NFL. Via JoeBucsFan.com, the former Florida State star inquired about Tom Brady’s game with cornerback Stephon Morris — who was a member of the Patriots during their offseason […]