TAMPA, Fla. -- Doug Williams, who might be the closest thing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ever have had to a franchise quarterback, had a very strong comment about the next guy in line.

As he was going through a news conference to announce his selection to the team's Ring of Honor, Williams had some high praise for Jameis Winston -- who the Bucs selected with the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft. He compared the young quarterback to NBA superstar LeBron James.

"There are only two young guys that I've seen that handle the public and the mike," Williams said Wednesday. "That's LeBron James and Jameis Winston. [Winston] has charisma coming out of his ears."

That's a wonderful thing as far as Williams is concerned. A first-round draft pick in 1978, Williams has experienced much of what Winston will go through. Williams, who led the Bucs to their first three playoff appearances, said he developed a relationship with Winston after the quarterback won the Heisman Trophy in 2013.

"I got a chance to do probably about four banquets with him and spent a lot of time with him," Williams said. "Him and I, we have been communicating, texting. I'm not a big texter, but he is at that texting age. So, I try to call him and he never answers the phone, so he forced me to text. I would text him back.

"We have been close, even through the whole process that he has been through. I can remember one text he sent to me. He just asked me how I handled certain things, so I called him and we talked about an hour one day. I believe in him as an individual and as a young man."