Browns QB Jameis Winston defends viral pregame speeches: 'This is who I am'
Jameis Winston, the top pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, has one of the most outgoing and infectious personalities in the league. The Cleveland Browns quarterback's speeches to his teammates prior to kickoffs have often created viral moments.
Winston was inserted into the starter role for the Browns Week 8 matchup with the Baltimore Ravens after Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending injury on Oct. 20.
The Browns entered this past Sunday's game on a five-game losing streak. But perhaps Winston's speech — and most certainly his 334 passing yards and three touchdowns — helped lift Cleveland to a 29-24 upset victory over Baltimore.
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The over-the-top pregame speeches are unique in their own right. On Wednesday, he defended the authenticity of his motivational messages and pushed back against any notion that he rehearses his speeches.
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"Bro, listen, this is who I am." Winston told reporters. "Like a lot of people, if you spend time trying to figure out, ‘Who is this guy?’ You’re wasting your time, all right? That’s just who I am. I’m not rehearsing things. What I am rehearsing is our plays. If you want to hear me, call a play call out, I’ll rehearse that for you. I am doing that in the mirror. I am having my wife call out plays and stuff like that. So, if you want to see some rehearsal stuff, find me going over the playbook."
A few years ago, videos circulated across social media platforms showing Winston probing his teammates about whether they were interested in eating "a W."
"That's a W… Let's eat one… How many people want to eat a W tonight?" Winston said before a game. Earlier this year, Winston sat down with "Pardon My Take," and explained that the saying derived from a motivational speech he enjoys.
"I've been eating W's since the beginning," Winston said. "It started a long, long time ago, and that's because my last name is W and the first four letters of my last name spells out 'wins.' Go and fact check me, it's probably right on Wikipedia."
"It all stemmed from one of my favorite motivational speeches and it all surrounds about a bowl of, do y'all remember the soup? The alphabet soup"," Winston asked.
Browns wide receiver Cedric Tillman shared his thoughts on Winston's latest pregame speech, saying, "I'm not gonna lie… I was laughing a little."
The win over the Ravens was just the second time this year the Browns ended up in the win column. But, Winston and the Browns will look to keep the momentum going this Sunday when they welcome the Los Angeles Chargers to Cleveland.
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