Jameis Winston won the Heisman Trophy and led Florida State to the BCS national championship in the 2013 season. But off-the-field incidents added up to the Seminoles quarterback being called “the most reviled college football player in America,” and Hueytown, where Winston starred in high school for the Golden Gophers, took down the banner celebrating his Heisman at Gilmore-Vines Stadium.

But after 10 NFL seasons, that version of Winston has been obliterated, replaced by an effusive personality illustrated by a kid-on-Christmas joy about playing in a snowstorm in Cleveland or with a microphone as a Super Bowl correspondent for FOX Sports.

Or as New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton described his first offseason working with Winston: “It’s like we were talking about a slant, how did we get to Kentucky Fried Chicken?”

At a press conference this week, Winston said he’s thankful the perceptions about him have changed.

“I’m grateful that I can bring joy to the game,” Winston said. “I’m grateful that through my hard work and effort on the football field that people notice me by my character. That’s just something that comes with it. This is the greatest game in the world, so we need to be able to drop our hair a little bit and notice that everyone has their own individual role.

“And I know what I’ve done in this NFL league in terms of playing football, and I’m grateful that I had that experience. But I also know that when I first came into this league, that I wasn’t looked upon as a man of high character, I wasn’t looked upon as that team-oriented guy. I had this perception of me that just wasn’t true. Through my course of diving in and growing every single year, I’ve proven myself to be who I am.

“I think that is the greatest compliment that someone can give you is that you’re truly who you are despite the character or the giggles. I think if you ask any of my teammates, any of my coaches who I am, they would say, ‘Jameis is truly who he is.’”

The Giants signed Winston as a free agent this offseason, and New York coach Brian Daboll seems less concerned with Winston’s personality than he is with his play.

“The most important thing is knowing what to do and then going out there and being able to do it,” Daboll said. “But he’s certainly a fun guy to be around in the meetings, outside. He takes his craft seriously.

“Obviously, a high pick, the highest pick you could have and been around the block a little bit, a couple different places. He’s been a good addition.”

The first player chosen in the 2015 NFL Draft, Winston threw for 19,737 yards and 121 touchdowns in his first five seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. When the Bucs replaced him with Tom Brady, he signed on to back up Drew Brees with the New Orleans Saints, then ascended to starter when Brees retired after one season.

Injuries took Winston out of the lineup in back-to-back seasons, and he left New Orleans in free agency to back up Deshaun Watson with the Cleveland Browns. In a role reversal from his previous two seasons, Winston started seven games in 2024 after Watson got hurt.

When Winston joined New York, the Giants’ depth chart at quarterback contained only Tommy DeVito. But New York then signed 10-time Pro Bowl QB Russell Wilson and used a first-round draft choice on Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart.

“When it comes to that, I focus on what I can do,” Winston said. “And what I can do is come to work with the intention to get better every single day not concerning myself with the room, seeing how I can serve the room. But my job is to be the best Jameis Winston that I can be. And Jameis Winston incorporates being a leader, peppering on the young buck, learning things from the older veterans, assisting the older veterans, learning from the three-year quarterback that’s been in this room. It encompasses a lot.

“But I stay focused on what I would love, and what I would love is to be my very best.”

Winston said he remains glad he chose New York in free agency.

“Obviously, I’m representing one of the best organizations in the NFL, one of the best cities in the world and one of the greatest fan bases the NFL has seen,” Winston said. “I know it’s bigger than me, and I’m grateful that I approach it that way. I’m happy to be a Giant.”

New York has one winning record and one playoff appearance in the past eight seasons. In 2024, the Giants had a 3-14 record and scored the fewest points in the NFC. The previous season, New York went 6-11 and finished next-to-last in the conference in scoring. The Giants used four starting quarterbacks in the past two seasons – Daniel Jones for 16 games, DeVito for eight and Tyrod Taylor and Drew Lock for five apiece.

“We’re going to do amazing things,” Winston said about the 2025 outlook for the Giants. “But I think it’s day-to-day growth, you know? And we’re definitely not going to look at last year. We can’t really. We can’t focus on that. We’ve got to keep our eyes on what we would love, and what we would love is to be the Super Bowl-winning champions. I think all of us would love that.

“But it’s a process. It’s a day-by-day process. And, yes, we’ve got the pieces, we’ve got the coaches, we’ve got the players. Now it’s about consistent execution.”

The Giants completed their offseason program with mandatory minicamp this week. The rookies report for training camp on July 15, and the veterans come in on July 22. New York starts its preseason schedule on Aug. 9 against the Buffalo Bills. The Giants’ regular-season schedule kicks off with an NFC East rivalry game against the Washington Commanders on Sept. 7.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.