Jimbo agrees with Lovie, says Winston will succeed 
“I think Jameis will play well with the Bucs, really well,” his former coach Jimbo Fisher said. ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE By Joey Johnston | Tribune Staff Published: May 15, 2015 SARASOTA — The coach of Jameis past convened with the coach of Jameis present Friday night during the 10th annual Dick Vitale Gala for the Jimmy V Foundation at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, and the quarterback himself made an appearance. There was a consensus.Florida State University coach Jimbo Fisher, who oversaw Jameis Winston’s Heisman Trophy and national-championship season, and Bucs coach Lovie Smith, who just made Winston the NFL’s No. 1 overall draft pick, both believe something special will happen in Tampa.“I think Jameis will play well with the Bucs, really well,” Fisher said. “There will be some bumps in the road. But people have no idea how intelligent Jameis is. He’ll work through it, and it won’t take long.”“Jimbo really helped us with a lot of information,” Smith said. “He painted a good picture of what it was like to work with him. We felt great about the information he gave us as he passed the baton, and we also feel great about taking that baton and running with it.”Fisher, Smith and Syracuse University men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim were honored during Friday night’s ceremony, which raised more than $2.3 million for pediatric cancer research, bringing the fundraising total to more than $15 million since Vitale began the annual event at his home in 2006.Fisher said he remembers greeting young cancer patients and their parents at games, hoping to provide some happiness, during his entire career. In 2011, Fisher’s son was diagnosed with Fanconi Anemia, a rare disease that requires a bone-marrow transplant and makes him prone to cancer later in his life.“That’s when I became one of those parents,” Fisher said. “That’s when I learned what they truly go through. So what Dick Vitale is doing here is close to my heart, and I support it with anything I can do.”Smith said his sister died of pancreatic cancer at age 49.“We all have a story, and that shows you how prevalent these diseases are and why we need to find a cure,” Smith said. “It’s about a call to action, doing whatever you can do.” Fisher and Smith have been casual acquaintances in the coaching profession. The connection to Winston, though, has enhanced their relationship.“I notice anybody who wins a national championship because that’s hard to do,” Smith said. “Quite obviously, there’s going to be a jump for Jameis, but more young guys are making that jump.“What I’ve found is great players in high school do OK in college. Great players in college figure out a way to succeed in the NFL. I think Jameis is going to make the transition fairly well.”Fisher was the offensive coordinator at LSU in 2006, when the Oakland Raiders made JaMarcus Russell the No. 1 overall pick. Russell is considered one of the biggest busts in NFL history.“I don’t think you can ever compare any two players, because everyone is different,” Fisher said. “I know all Jameis does is work, and he simply can’t turn off his competitiveness or his ability to be around people. He loves people, and he loves his teammates.“I told (Smith), ‘Do your own investigation (about Winston’s off-field behavior) before you ever talk to me’ and I believe they did that. What did they get from me? Just an idea of what it’s like to coach him, what motivates him, what drives him, things like that. They were satisfied with what they learned, and I truly believe they are getting a great one in Tampa.”[email protected](813) 259-7353Twitter: @JJohnstonTBO
