America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, was a newcomer to Tampa last spring and knew little about what to expect.

Yes, Jameis was longtime friends with Derrick Brooks and mingled at Mike Alstott’s big charity foundation event before he was drafted. But the quality of support in Tampa didn’t hit Jameis until after that.

And it didn’t come from Bucs fans.

Jameis told the Buccaneers Radio Network that it was watching the community’s response to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s great season last year that opened his eyes.

“I became a big fan of Tampa Bay fans when I seen how this city just got behind the Tampa Bay Lightning on their run to the Stanley Cup,” Jameis said. “That even made me a fan. I attended the Tampa Bay Lightning games and I wanted them to win the Cup. So I see how powerful our fans are. “So when I stepped out there on the field, I was like, ‘We gotta win for these fans because I know they’re going to back us when we win.’ “This is a winning league. So you gotta produce wins. You gotta give the fans some sense of hope. You gotta give the fans what they want. You know, I know that sounds cliché, but home field advantage is a big thing.”

Jameis went on to talk about what a home field advantage should mean on the playoffs stage.

Pretty cool stuff there from Jameis on the power of the community and its ability to rally around and impact a team.

As for insisting fans get what they want, Jameis is on the money. Something for Bucs officials to consider when they negotiate with the running back the fans want, the running back the head coach wants, and the running back Jameis wants.