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Bucs' Winston says he wanted to prove himself to teammates with new physique

Elsa / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston slimmed down significantly this spring, much to the delight of his teammates.

Winston showed glimpses of stardom during his rookie season after being selected first overall in 2015, throwing 22 touchdowns against 15 interceptions.

Although he met lofty expectations in his first professional season, Winston said he needed to prove himself to his teammates in the offseason.

"As a quarterback, you have to show these guys that you're working,” Winston said to Zach Shapiro of Pewter Report. “I didn't want to come back and have them say, 'Oh, Jameis looks the exact same.' I had to give them something to talk about, right?"

Winston's dedication to making himself better is paying dividends for his club.

"When you have a guy like Jameis leading your team, that makes everybody want to be like Jameis," Buccaneers cornerback Johnthan Banks said of Winston. "He's got everyone excited. You could just see him out here yesterday, how confident he is, even in the walkthroughs, making checks and getting guys in place. It's awesome. Jameis, he’s going to be one of those Peyton Manning-type guys."

Winston showed marked improvement during his rookie year and all signs indicate that he'll have a long, prosperous career. Making physical improvements under his own volition is an admirable trait, and the Buccaneers can take solace in the fact that their quarterback is locked in for 2016.

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