Bucs’ Winston wants to move past suspension
For the first time since the NFL announced he was being suspended for three games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy for allegedly groping an Uber driver in March 2016, Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston addressed reporters.
“I’m just focused on moving forward,” Winston said Thursday morning in a news conference. “That’s all I can do. I’ve grown and learned from this situation, and it’s a learning experience. I’ve worked hard in this community since I’ve gotten here, and I’m going to continue to work hard on and off the field.
“This happened after my rookie year,” Winston continued about the incident. “I’ve made a lot of positive strides since then.”
The NFL announced the suspension June 28 in a statement, concluding “that Winston violated the personal conduct policy by touching the driver in an inappropriate and sexual manner without her consent and that disciplinary action was necessary and appropriate.”
The NFL launched an investigation looking into the incident, which took place in Arizona and first became public in 2017. At the time, Winston strongly denied the allegation. But he issued another statement after the suspension came down, apologizing to the Uber driver for “the position I put you in.”
On Thursday, Winston repeatedly declined to get into specifics about the incident
“I understand that they’re disappointed,” Winston said of the Buccaneers fans. “I’m disappointed. I shouldn’t have put myself in that situation. All I can do is grow and learn. And I tell the fans, ‘ Continue to support this team. Continue to support me.’ Because I’ve been here and my main goal was to grow as a leader and be a huge advocate in the community, and I’ve done that.”
Winston, 24, was accused of sexual assault while he was a student at Florida State, but the state attorney’s office declined to press charges. In 2016, he settled a federal lawsuit with his accuser.
Winston was accused of grabbing the Uber driver’s crotch while at the drivethrough window of a Scottsdale, Arizona, restaurant in March 2016. The driver told BuzzFeed News in November that he held his hand there for three to five seconds.
“I wasn’t just creeped out,” the driver told BuzzFeed. “I was frozen.”
The driver told BuzzFeed that she reported the incident to Uber but did not contact police.
“Initially, I talked to my teammates first,” Winston said. “I acknowledged them yesterday, and I apologized. Because I don’t want to be a distraction. I want our focus to be on the season moving forward.”