Jameis Winston Says He Has "Grown And Learned" From The Experience Of Grabbing An Uber Driver's Crotch

Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston will miss the first three games of the upcoming season after being suspended for groping an Uber driver. As part of the terms of the suspension, Winston apologized to the driver for “the position he put her in.” All this came after Winston initially denied the driver’s accusations and tried to discredit her, and after his friend, Eagles cornerback Ronald Darby, lied about being in the car with him. Everything about how Winston has handled the situation has been dishonest and despicable, including comments he gave to reporters to today, his first since the suspension.

Winston spoke at Bucs training camp, and continued to elide responsibility for the incident while speaking about it as a “learning experience” which has allowed him to make “a lot of positive strides” in the days since.

“I know I can’t put myself in situations like that,” Winston said, as if the act of reaching over from the passenger seat to sexually assault a woman was as incidental as getting caught in a rainstorm without an umbrella. More than anything else, Winston wanted to make it clear that he is “moving forward.”

Winston also said that he thinks the fans should continue to support him and the Buccaneers. “Since I’ve been here my main goal was to grow as a leader and be a huge advocate in the community. And I’ve done that, and I’m going to continue to do that.”