Jameis The Leader
April 26th, 2016
Calmed a teammate amid professional turmoil and shame.
We have all heard by now how much of a team leader America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, is. It’s what sets him apart from so many.
Well, good guy and uber NFL insider Peter Schrager of FOX Sports passed along a cool Jameis story while appearing on “The Huddle” podcast co-hosted by Stewart Mandel and Bruce Feldman.
The scene was one of the worst memories for Bucs fans: the inexcusable lack of preparation by Lovie Smith and his defense in the 2015 season opener against the Titans. It turned out to be the beginning of the end for Coach My Scheme.
No team, no organization and no coach did more research, watched more film, and interviewed more contacts of Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota than the Bucs — with the possible exception of the Titans themselves. Yet Mariota tore through the Tampa Bay defense as if it had done about 20 minutes of film study on the guy.
It was a shameful display for an NFL coach, much less a guy who had logged as many years as Lovie. It was as if he never saw one play from the guy, or his Oregon-influenced offense.
In that game, Jameis attempted his first NFL pass, aimed at undrafted free agent Adam Humphries. It was a pick-six. No matter how Jameis’ career unfolds, he will have to live with that the rest of his life. Over 20 years after he retires, that play will still be talked about.
Schrager noted Humphries ran the wrong route. (Why then-offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter called a play for an undrafted free agent to be Jameis’ first-ever target in his first NFL game is another question for another day.)
Anyway, Humphries effs up and Jameis has to live with that pick-six — his grandkids will be clowning him for it.
Most quarterbacks, rookies or not, would have strangled a receiver on the sidelines for running a wrong route that resulted in a pick-six, or at least cuss the guy out. Instead, per Schrager, Jameis walked up to Humphries and said, “Don’t worry about it, baby. We’ve got 10 more years of this.”
Schrager talks about this story at about the 25:30 mark of the linked audio.
Bucs fans wouldn’t have minded if Jameis punched Humphries. In fact, many Bucs fans would have applauded such a move. Instead, Jameis tells Humphries not only to shake it off, but that he will have a productive career alongside him.
That’s a leader, folks.
April 26th, 2016 at 9:02 am
Correction Joe, “The beginning of the end” for Coach my scheme was when he named Old man McCown as the unquestioned starter!!!!!!
Darkest times of Bucs history!!! and that is saying something!!!!!
April 26th, 2016 at 9:15 am
The fact that people praise Mariota for they way he played against us is stupid. The guy didn’t throw more than 2 balls past 5 yards. They were all slants. I mean it worked but come on, anything worked against us. But while Jameis had to actually read defenses, Mariota was throwing slants against a mediocre scheme that allows it. Ready for this year to see what Mike smith does. GO BUCS!
April 26th, 2016 at 9:16 am
Well it’s not even a year later and nobody is talking about that play. And in 10 years, Adam Humphries and I will be doing the same thing… Not playing in the NFL.
April 26th, 2016 at 9:22 am
Humphries went on to have a nice season for an undrafted FA and shows some potential. His career may have been over before it started if #3 hadn’t handled that situation properly.
I think this is why Buc fans are so excited! We like the leadership of this team.
Our GM…our new HC…and our new franchise QB…and I’m going to add Kwon’s name…admittedly perhaps premature but I sense Kwon is going to be the leader on D that #3 is on O.
The pieces are in place baby! Go Bucs!
April 26th, 2016 at 9:55 am
“Why then-offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter called a play for an undrafted free agent to be Jameis’ first-ever target in his first NFL game is another question for another day.”….boy, I hope mike smith holds dirk hand tight thru out the year…with decisions like that and taking the ball out of dougs hands, I pray its not another long season….if he made stupid decisions like that as an oc, I cant imagine the type of choices he will be making when the pressure is on and smitty is up in the booth…10wins and playoffs or smith may be the next hc….GO BUCS!!!
April 26th, 2016 at 9:57 am
@StPeteBucsFan
Why did you not name Defensive Coordinator Mike Smith???? Coach Smitty is going to be a huge leader and very important piece for this team!!!From a Sound board for Head Coach Koetter to Incredible Defensive Coordinator that will put players in position to win!!!!!
April 26th, 2016 at 10:26 am
@Realist
Well I certainly take your point and we can add Smitty’s name if you wish. I think he’s the result however of that first group…GM and HC…but we can continue with Jay Hayes as well. Given our desperate need for a pass rush Jay Hayes will be critical this year and he too has an excellent rep.
It’s all good!
BTW after Thursday can someone tell me the next big events before training camp opens this summer? Do we have some rookie gatherings and some OTA’s to amuse us between the draft and training camp?
Thanks heavens for the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the talented Bolts or I’d be getting stir crazy.
April 26th, 2016 at 10:32 am
I almost had forgotten that play 😉 Actually, it didnt matter if Humphries ran the right route or not, Sensabaugh was all over him like a wet blanket. I think the Titans were expecting an outpass as well, something easy for the first throw..
April 26th, 2016 at 10:47 am
The Lightning beat the weakest team in the East in the first round. The league must have changed the playoff format because the 8th best is supposed to play the number one seed, or it was that way before. Going by the season results the Panthers beat the Bolts more than they lost, so the Islanders sent them packing. One of the Capitals or Penguins will win the East. The Lightning will be hard pressed to beat the Islanders. If they somehow do that’s as far as they get. Still a nice season for the home team.
April 26th, 2016 at 11:22 am
Exhibit-A why the receiver corps was so thin after Murphy.
April 26th, 2016 at 12:23 pm
For the record, some fans may have wanted for Jw3 to punch AH11, But every Buc fan wanted to wait in line to punch lovie!!!!!! He was totally out coached, and all he did was stare blankly at the jumbo-tron like he wanted to see who had let his scheme down!!!!
incompetent indeed!!!!
April 26th, 2016 at 1:29 pm
The Buc Realist Says
“Why did you not name Defensive Coordinator Mike Smith????”
Mike Smith has not proven anything for us yet. The others have.
April 26th, 2016 at 1:31 pm
We didn’t lose that game because of Lovie Smith…we lost it because Mariota was in Winston’s head because of the Rose Bowl.
It was obvious months before hand that we would lose that game. Some of you just didn’t want to accept it.
April 26th, 2016 at 1:33 pm
Great to have a coach that other coaches want to come and work with.It will finally to be fun to be a buc fan after the Lovie deflation.both Koetter and Winston will be unshackled.Joe wrote about Lovie settling for a field goal
in a game.and that is how I will remember him, always settling for less..Thank you glazers for not settling
for Lovie.The,team,coaches, and fans deserve more.
April 26th, 2016 at 2:15 pm
so glad lovie is long gone!!!!!
April 26th, 2016 at 3:43 pm
Almost wish dementia was setting in, Lovie who?
April 26th, 2016 at 4:14 pm
BuccaneerBonzai Says:
April 26th, 2016 at 1:31 pm
“We didn’t lose that game because of Lovie Smith…we lost it because Mariota was in Winston’s head because of the Rose Bowl.
It was obvious months before hand that we would lose that game. Some of you just didn’t want to accept it.”
-BB, you’ve posted some outrageous bs over the years, but this might be the dumbest thing ever. Take your medication.
April 26th, 2016 at 4:33 pm
@Piratic
Sadly, its not even in his top ten!!! He is Bat $hit crazy!!!
April 26th, 2016 at 7:29 pm
People forget that it wasn’t just Opening Day 2015 where Lovie stunk it up. OPENING DAY 2014 HE HAD NO ANSWER FOR DEREK ANDERSON!!!
That’s what proved to me Lovie had to go: given an entire off season to prepare for an opponent, he was 0-2 against a rookie and a journeyman and BOTH looked like Hall of Famers.