For all the missteps Jameis Winston has had over the last couple years, the quarterback knows the importance of image and public perception. So, too, does Roger Goodell.
The potential No. 1 pick in next month's NFL draft met with the league commissioner and other execs in person last week in New York, according to The MMQB. Winston reportedly initiated the sit-down with Goodell because he wanted the commissioner to get to know him face-to-face.
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Winston reached out to the NFL not long after declaring for the draft in January, and Goodell agreed to the meeting sometime in February, according to the report. Winston spent five or six hours at the league offices, also meeting with vice president of football operations Troy Vincent.
There's a good chance the Florida State product will be the first player to share the stage with Goodell in Chicago when the draft opens April 30. In jumping to the NFL, Winston has a chance to move beyond the sexual assault allegations and crab-leg theft that marred his time in Tallahassee.
The meeting appears to have been a positive step in that direction.
"He went out of his way to make a good impression, and to show that he understood what was going to be expected of him in the NFL," one of those involved in the meetings told The MMQB.
