Jameis Winston addressed the elephant in the room on Thursday during a press conference. He told reporters that he stood in front of his teammates Wednesday and apologized for the actions that led to his three-game suspension, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN.
Those actions, which he’s still yet to fully admit guilt over, revolve around accusations levied against Winston by a female Uber driver. She has accused Winston of grabbing her crotch when she picked him up in Scottsdale back in 2016.
On Thursday, Winston again would not admit guilt over the accusations. Instead, he apologized to fans, saying, “I understand that they’re disappointed in me. I’m disappointed. I should have never put myself in that situation.”
He also vowed to be a better man and example for his is newborn son, Antonor, who was born the day after the NFL deemed he had touched the driver “in an inappropriate and sexual manner without her consent.”
“I’m gonna have to teach that man to respect women and live his day-to-day life [the right way],” Winston said Thursday. “I’ve really [taken] it upon myself to be proactive and make sure I’m being a great example for him and my fiancée.”
For what it’s worth, Winston’s teammates have said they have his back while he sits out the first three games this year. In his stead, veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick will start, and he’s already been given first-team reps in practice.