Upon returning from the Pro Bowl in February, Jameis Winstonset out to transform his body, armed with a new understanding of the commitment level of the game's top quarterbacks.
Mission accomplished.
Teammates took note of Winston's streamlined body as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers opened a voluntary minicamp on Tuesday.
"He lost a lot of weight. He slimmed out," wide receiver Mike Evans said, via the Tampa Bay Times. "I was joking with him the other day. He took his shirt off, and I said 'Man, what happened to the belly?' He's got a six-pack like me. He's put in a tremendous amount of work and I think it's going to be a great year for him and this whole team."
Winston played his rookie season at roughly 235 pounds after reportedly ballooning to 250 at one point last offseason. Trainer Tim Grover told ESPN that Winston is down 18 pounds since the beginning of January.
The Bucs have to be thrilled with Winston's metamorphosis after he showed heavy feet and a lack of explosiveness in his legs last year.
Even better, the newfound diligence is a sign of maturity for a player who is now viewed as the face of the franchise.
"Jameis is very perceptive about not only what he needs to get better but what our offense and our team needs to get better," coach Dirk Koetter recently explained. "That's one of the things when you're around him more, he's mature way beyond his years with that sort of thing. The reason I got a smile is because that's a good thing for the Bucs."
