Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston served as a counselor over the weekend at the Manning Passing Academy, and he told reporters he aspires to be like a Manning.
"I'm an observer," Winston told reporters, "so I just observe the way (Peyton) does things. He's so detail-oriented. And how he carries himself -- I'm really trying to see how he carries himself because I want to be the guy 10, 15 years from now that's viewed like a Peyton Manning or an Eli or an Archie."
Winston was one of 40 college quarterbacks who worked the camp, and there's little doubt any of them wouldn't want to end up like Eli or Peyton. Winston, though, was the only quarterback at the camp -- including the Mannings -- who has a national title ring and a Heisman Trophy.
Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher told USA Today that he sees some Manning traits in Winston.
"The best thing he has, of everything, is his intelligence and knowledge of the game," Fisher said. "Because he understands it. When we have a conversation, I can say something to him and he sees the whole picture in his mind just like I do -- what the angles are, what they should be, he sees it.
"He just gets it."
Fisher was pleased his quarterback was picked to attend the camp.
"I think you learn any time you're around greatness," Fisher said. "You pick up so many little things, subtle things that other people may not even recognize. Any time you have that opportunity, you've got to take advantage of it. Any time you're around people of that stature, it's incredibly important to be able to learn from them.
"Whether you take things or not is up to you, but I think learning how things are done and to continue to grow your knowledge of the position you have and the responsibilities you have."
In December, Winston said on NFL Network's "NFL AM" that Peyton Manning was one NFL quarterback he tried to emulate.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
