Emotional Jason Licht
August 30th, 2017
Rare insight.
Sometimes, and Joe is caught in this trap as well, it seems fans don’t understand the amount of skin and blood NFL front office suits put into their careers and their jobs.
And in a window into the personal sweat and toil of an NFL general manager, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht shared a very personal moment on “Hard Knocks” last night.
Anyone remotely close to the Bucs could tell just how much Licht wanted to draft America’s Quarterback, Pro Bowler Jameis Winston, when he was coming out of Florida State. Shoot, talk to enough NFL folks and you will learn that when Licht was working with the Cardinals in 2013, the year Jameis guided Florida State to a national championship, Licht was already deep in love with the freshman signal-caller.
At the time, brittle Carson Palmer was with the Cardinals, and at 33, the team had no idea how much he had left in the tank, mentally or physically. So the Cardinals were already eyeing potential quarterback targets and Jameis was on Licht’s radar.
So after Licht’s first year with the Bucs and after winning the Chase for Jameis, it seemed the only thing stopping Jameis from being a Bucs quarterback was for Team Glazer or Lovie Smith to say no, or the Bucs digging up dirt on Jameis that would have been too ugly to ignore.
In what may go down as a franchise-changing moment for the ages, both Team Glazer and Lovie were all in on Jameis and the investigation financed by the Bucs to study Jameis came back clean (enough?) that Licht knew he had his man.
Talking to Tampa Bay Lightning assistant general manager Julien Brisebois, Licht began to expound on the attributes of Jameis. First, Licht noted other NFL teams had higher offers on the table for DeSean Jackson but Jackson wanted to play with Jameis. Then Licht opened up about his deep feelings for The Franchise.
“If you see what a leader he is… ,” Licht began.
“You knew he had that leadership?” Brisebois asked.
“Yes, he’s the best leader I think I’ve ever been around.”
“Wow. In just sports?”
“In anything. He inspires me! Once we did all the vetting [during the draft process], you know, outside sources and everything we paid, I literally, when we took him, I closed the door and I like, just lost it, you know? Because it was such a big deal.”
“That’s someone special.”
Joe can somewhat relate, and Joe is sure many Bucs fans could as well.
After decades of garbage offenses and awful teams, save a few years with Chucky, the trail of quarterbacks tears in recent years was over. From Son of Bob Griese to Bruce Gradkowski to Byron Leftwich to Wrongo Starr, now finally, finally, finally the Bucs had their franchise quarterback, the face of the franchise.
Joe is confident when Licht finally got to pick Jameis as the savior of the Bucs, Licht wasn’t alone needing a moment to compose himself.
August 30th, 2017 at 12:13 am
I closed the door and lost it when we drafted Roberto
August 30th, 2017 at 12:17 am
I said this. No other team has ever had this kind of leader. EVER! Better than magic, jordan, etc displaying at his age then they ever was. Proud to have this guy playing for the bucs
August 30th, 2017 at 12:21 am
🙂
Lamarcus:
Jameis reminds Joe very much of Magic Johnson. Very much.
August 30th, 2017 at 12:31 am
But at that age and different style of men? Winston got a 10 up in that category
August 30th, 2017 at 12:32 am
Lamarcus
– nailed it!
The more you watch Jameis, the prouder you are that he is our QB. You cant help but love the guy
Same with McCoy. Both of them are always happy, always helping and uplifting their teammates.
I loved our Superbowl team. Brooks, Alstoot, Ronde, Lynch- how could you not?
But these two are both Generational talents AND leaders!!
I think the Bucs best years are ahead!!
. . .If only we had a DE . . .
August 30th, 2017 at 5:57 am
I wish Licht would get that emotional about a DE that rush the passer and a real running back..!!!
August 30th, 2017 at 7:17 am
The first game I saw Jameis play in against Pittsburgh I was thinking is there anyway we can get this guy it would be a dream come true. Can’t wait for the future holds. Of course in the next year or two the Bucs will have to pony up with a 8 year $250 million contract for Jameis making sure he never leaves.
August 30th, 2017 at 10:20 am
I’m not surprised by Licht’s reaction. I also suspect there was some emotion at JBF headquarters as well. LMAO.
Dang Mike N….I feel sorry for your friends and family. This was an incredibly positive story and should have resulted in a great thread.
But instead of embracing the positive and the joy of turning around our franchise….you choose to concentrate on a freaking 2nd round draft pick that won’t mean squat to this franchise in the grand scheme of things.
Man you’re probably that guy who with the chance to score with a hot chick would beotch about her toenails. C’mon man!!!
August 30th, 2017 at 1:01 pm
An some of you guys –howndo you come up with negativity after a post like that. For christs sakes be happy for once. “if only he got emotional for a D end of running back” just go root for the best team every year then
August 30th, 2017 at 1:10 pm
@stpete dpap… sorry your feelings are hurt. it was just a little silly to see jason like that. We had the #1 pick in the draft, it wasn’t like we weren’t going to get our man. Jameis has been better than advertised. Glad hardknocks came to see Jameis the man!
August 30th, 2017 at 2:57 pm
@Mike n, Aguayo lmao!!! Yes!
August 30th, 2017 at 3:14 pm
Mike
My feelings are not hurt. I just do not understand the need for so many here…certainly you are not alone…to dwell on the failures instead of embracing the success.
We’ve had a lot larger failures than Aguayo…we have how many DE’s that didn’t pan out…that DID set the franchise back. I just know from life’s experience that #3 gets it….positive not negative. #3 has an excellent arm…he’s slow but a talented runner…but if you add up all his physical skills he’s not the QB he currently is….his ability to visualize and believe is at least half of his overall skill set.
I just hope guys here can learn from #3 and take it to their daily lives. You don’t have to be a football player to benefit from #3’s wisdom…it truly is the wisdom of the ages.
August 30th, 2017 at 9:05 pm
Better work on getting his feet more towards the target and his hand more in front of his stride and then he will be more accurate. I’m a big fan of Winston but he is less accurate now than at FSU and his ball may have a tad less velocity on avg. Yes his motion is shorter for the pro pocket but the fact s are he is much much more successful out of the pocket.
So something has to give and yes he is 23 but he just struggles with the shortened motion and totally lacks proper foot alignment allot, his feet are not even close to where the ball is going way to often and this is the Diff in 5 percentage points or hitting that big play.
I am so sick of seeing him not fully extend on long throws but it has improved since the beginning of camp, he doesn’t have to be Byron Leftwitch but for sake of success let him throw!!