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NFL DRAFT
NFL Scouting Combine

Jameis Winston meets the press at the NFL scouting combine

Lorenzo Reyes
USA TODAY

Florida State QB Jameis Winston addresses reporters at the combine Friday.

INDIANAPOLIS — Jamies Winston met with reporters Friday at the NFL scouting combine, the most anticipated interview of the week.

Widely projected to be the No. 1 selection in the NFL draft, Winston is meeting with NFL teams this week to continue the evaluation process and to convince them he won't be a distraction off the field.

News broke earlier in the day that Winston was coping with a minor shoulder issue.

The former Florida State quarterback is one of the most polarizing prospects of the 2015 draft class. Blessed with undeniable talent, Winston has battled a slew of off-field issues, including a rape accusation for which he was never charged, theft from a grocery store, shouting a vulgarity at the student union and an overall perception that he's entering the league with character issues.

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Here are the talking points from Winston's press conference:

Winston addressed reporters with an opening statement

-- "First off before we start anything, I want to let y'all know, I know I've made mistakes. I know I have a past, but right now it's about me moving forward and earning the trust of these 32 teams out there. … I'm a competitor and I know what I'm capable of doing and I will be throwing at the combine."

On throwing during combine on-field workouts

-- Winston said he will throw at the combine.

On reports a shoulder issue was discovered during combine medical exams

-- "I had an MRI just like everyone else." Winston deflecting questions about a shoulder issue. "I had the same shoulder I had the past two years I was at Florida State." Winston said the MRI was done Thursday. "I've been playing baseball. That's why there might be the shoulder."

On moving forward into the NFL

-- "My job of the quarterback is to be the face of the franchise, and any franchise that it is, I've got to do that. … Whatever is behind me is behind me. It's a new face."

-- "What I do tell them is I have to earn your trust. I can't talk about any of the situations in the past or anything like that, but what I can do is prove to you and let you watch me grow into being the face of your franchise."

-- "I'm not into no competition type of thing. I'm out here to win games and be the face of someone's franchise. This is not no competition just between me and Mariota. One thing about me, I plan on winning the Super Bowl next year. I want it to be Jameis versus Peyton Manning. Jameis versus Tom Brady. … I want to be viewed like that. After all this combine stuff, you're not going to hear no more about Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota, but I want my name to stay relevant for the next 15 to 20 years.

-- "I am here to gain the trust of all 32 teams. My actions. I can't predict the future, but I need to do whatever I have to become the face of the franchise."

On his visit to Michigan with coach Jim Harbaugh

-- "It was just critical to get some advice from a good coach like he is and it was fun in Ann Arbor."

On the perception of Winston gaining too much weight

-- "A lot of people thought I was fat. But I'm proving everybody wrong. I look good and I know it."

On focusing solely on football for the first time, and not being a two-sport star

-- "The thing is, I don't even know how good I really am yet. This is the first offseason I've had since I was four years old. I've never ever been into February talking to media and especially playing quarterback... This is the first time I've been a quarterback all year round."

On being the No. 1 pick and playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

-- "I think it would just be a privilege to play in Tampa, period."

-- Winston said he hasn't met with the Buccaneers yet.

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Follow Lorenzo Reyes on Twitter @Lorenzo_G_Reyes

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