NEW ORLEANS — The Super Bowl is the most-watched single sporting event in the world.
Yet, the biggest story of Super Bowl LIX was not the Kansas City Chiefs getting denied their three-peat. Nor was it Jalen Hurts going from benched college star quarterback to Super Bowl MVP, or just how dominant a defensive performance the Eagles put on display, or even hip-hop superstar Kendrick Lamar’s halftime show.
No, the biggest story was the man who once coined the phrase “If we’re going to do it then, we do it big then.” Yes, the real MVP of the Super Bowl week was Jameis Winston.
Winston has always been a widely entertaining figure.
The animated personality — which borders on manic at times — was there when he arrived on campus at Florida State University. It would continue to grow as Winston quickly developed into a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback and BCS National Champion and found himself drafted No. 1 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
From dancing in the locker room and throwing up “W” to teammates in pregame huddles in Tampa Bay and later New Orleans, to this past season making snow angels with the Amazon Prime Thursday Night Football Crew after he led the Cleveland Browns to a victory over the Steelers.
Winston has always shined in front of a camera even if his pro career hasn’t worked out as some, or even he had hoped it would. Despite showing early promise by earning Pro Bowl honors as a rookie, and even leading the NFL in passing in 2019, Winston’s play has been as maniac as his boisterous personality, as he will go from spectacular touchdown throw to an equally as amazingly awful interception.
As evidenced by his historic 30-30 season in 2019 when he set a career-high in touchdown passes (33) but also threw a league-high in interceptions (30). Thus, why he went from starter to fan-favorite backup quarterback.
Winston threw no interceptions as a Fox Sports correspondent during Super Bowl week.
He kicked off the week by holding court on Opening Night inside Caesar’s Superdome. Nearly every player Winston interviewed laughed after he asked them about their favorite color, including Louisiana native and Heisman winner DeVonta Smith. He asked AJ Brown to do the Cha-Cha Slide if he scored a touchdown in the game — which he later did — and had a touching moment and hug with former Saints teammate Zack Baun.
He threw them “W” cookies and when the throw was off Winston quipped “You know someone always trying to intercept my stuff.”
That was just the appetizer for what the JaBoo Super Bowl experience would be.
In the days that followed, Winston danced in a second line, drove tourists around on a Pedicab while singing to them, ate “W” shaped beignets at Cafe Du Monde, and even took the powder sugar and put it across his face like eye black. He dressed like a pirate at a local bar while serving Purple Drank, tried to talk his way onto Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shah Khan’s super yacht, and led Pat McAfee and his crew in prayer live on the air.
He also played cowbell with a New Orleans jazz band, played start-bench-cut with NFL stars like Sauce Gardner, rock paper scissors with comedian Pete Davidson and Patriots owner Robert Kraft, and threw crab legs from a balcony on Bourbon Street. He then capped the week by watching the game in the stands with famed comedian and seemingly always shirtless Bert Kreischer.
It is a remarkable turnaround for a player who once was dubbed as a suspect for behavior at Florida State.
There were the shoplifting incidents (which made him throwing crab legs from the balcony even funnier), and suspended for making vulgar comments. There were also far more serious allegations of sexual assault while he was at FSU. Authorities never charged Winston with any crime, but civil suits were filed by the alleged victim and Winston (which were settled), and the case was prominently featured in the CNN documentary “The Hunting Ground.”
Yet, all seems like a distant memory as Winston has become one of the most beloved figures in the NFL. The public can’t get enough of him as his videos on social media for Fox Sports generated more than 128 million views.
Winston may never know what it feels to hoist up the Lombardi Trophy or be voted as a Super Bowl MVP, but there is no doubt that he is an MVP off of it. He proved that over and over again in New Orleans.
Raymond Partsch III is the co-host of “RP3 & Meche” which is broadcast weekdays (11-1) on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette and 104.1 Lake Charles — Southwest Louisiana’s Sports Station.