Lavonte David Says Famous “Eat A W” Speech Didn’t Go Over Well
April 19th, 2021
Lavonte David
A little clarity on Bucs history has emerged.
Before Tom Brady saved the franchise, America’s Quarterback, Jameis Winston, presided over the second half of The Lost Decade.
Among other shenanigans, Jameis forever will be remembered for his pregame “Eat a W” speech back in November of 2017 (video below). It was unique, but was it counterproductive?
Lavonte David addressed that with TheUndefeated.com recently.
… I was right in the heart of it [Eat the W]. My boy Jameis [Winston], he’s a very, very, very energetic, animated guy. That was just something that he thought up off the top of his head. And he came out with it and it was weird, man. It was weird, honestly. He knows it was weird. Everybody wasn’t really thrilled with it for a hype-up speech, but unfortunately, that’s going to follow my guy Jameis for his whole career.
He meant well by it. But that particular thing didn’t go over well with the rest of the team, and the outcome of that game kind of proved it. It definitely was something that kind of caught me off guard. I was kind of like, ‘What?’ It is what it is, though. We all love Jameis. He meant well. He’s a great competitor, but unfortunately, that’s going to follow him for a long time.
Joe is glad David referenced the final score of the “Eat a W” game. The Bucs were hammered early in New Orleans, trailing 30-3 after three quarters. You can’t blame the speech, but you never know. The Bucs were a mentally weak bunch in those days.
David also told TheUndefeated.com that he used to sit around thinking about asking for a trade from the Bucs, and just about leaving Tamp Bay in general. Joe wonders when that angst was tormenting David.
Regardless, the ending was very, very happy, a Super Bowl ring won at home.
April 19th, 2021 at 2:21 pm
A true leader recognizes his position and thinks before he emotes.
I’m not at all sure Jameis Winston has any real emotional maturity…or if he ever will while his body can play at a high level. Or ever.
“Eating W’s” was just another turnover in his checkered turnover-rich career.
April 19th, 2021 at 2:21 pm
Eat a W Crap an L
Jameis is now New Orleans problem.
April 19th, 2021 at 2:23 pm
I was so embarrassed as a fan about that speech and the outcome of that game.
April 19th, 2021 at 2:24 pm
I was so embarrassed smh.
April 19th, 2021 at 2:25 pm
so glad lavonte didn’t leave. that would have been devastating….
April 19th, 2021 at 2:26 pm
That was kinda weird. Specially when he put it in everyone’s face.
April 19th, 2021 at 2:35 pm
eating w’s sums up jdub
do 1st, think later
you can’t fix stupid
April 19th, 2021 at 2:36 pm
No spit!
April 19th, 2021 at 2:38 pm
I’m not sure he (jameis) knows this was a bad speech… see the Drew Brees post game interview and jw eating his fingers once again.
April 19th, 2021 at 2:40 pm
But for real, I had so many of my buddies text me pics and call me making fun of my starting qb. It was a low day for this Bucs fan.
April 19th, 2021 at 2:41 pm
His lying to the team didn’t go over well either. And we all know about his play on the field desean Jackson said F that trade me. He was acting up to get out of Tampa.
April 19th, 2021 at 2:41 pm
DeSean Jackson’s face in the background is a thing of beauty
April 19th, 2021 at 2:46 pm
Gadzooks! I’m shocked!
April 19th, 2021 at 2:46 pm
What a joke. Watch the video of him doing it again in the saints locker room after second game this year. He just won’t learn and keep being an idiot
April 19th, 2021 at 2:51 pm
Have no issues w/ JW3’s leadership/ rah-rah enthusiasm…That’s not the real story here…It’s LD admitting he was not all-in on being a Buc – by 2017.
Wonder where his head was at in 2018 & 2019???
April 19th, 2021 at 3:09 pm
JW is a BUST!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
April 19th, 2021 at 3:09 pm
JW is a joke, always has been. People were so delusional thinking he was mature enough to lead a franchise. Maybe one day he will be and maybe sitting on the bench will help him.
April 19th, 2021 at 3:09 pm
Dan Orlovsky is know for 1 thing, Jamies will be know for 2, eating a W and his 30 for 30 season.
April 19th, 2021 at 3:10 pm
catcard202: If you watched the games in those years, you’d have the answer. David was one of the Bucs best players, if you didn’t/don’t know.
April 19th, 2021 at 3:13 pm
JW is known for one thing by those who know..even though they deleted the cell phone evidence. He should be in stipes.
April 19th, 2021 at 3:23 pm
That’s a W…
April 19th, 2021 at 3:25 pm
@catcard202 Hold up…
He had more combined tackles and QB hits in each of the 2018 and 2019 seasons, compared to the 2020 season.
That man gave his all every week, regardless of the QB/HC chaos around him!
April 19th, 2021 at 3:31 pm
Jameis doubled down on the stupidity in a NO win that he contributed absolutely nothing to. Idiots gonna be idiots.
April 19th, 2021 at 3:34 pm
I remember better when he said the same crap playing for the Saints…..maybe he forgot to say it on the last game…..Joker!!
April 19th, 2021 at 3:35 pm
At that moment I KNEW the Bucs could NOT get rid of him fast enough…
broadcast on TV, NFL fans got to witness how bad Bucs blundered that 1st over all pick..
April 19th, 2021 at 3:36 pm
I’ve been a Bucs fan since 75. If I were a great player on the Bucs and went nearly 10 years without sniffing a playoff game, I’d consider asking for a trade also. No problem at all with David’s honesty. Losing sucks.
April 19th, 2021 at 3:38 pm
Jvato24 d jack thought winston was good until he got here and realized dude had no accuracy and his decision making sucked. And don’t give me that practice bull fizt had no problem hitting him in stride.
April 19th, 2021 at 3:42 pm
To say “cringe-worthy” would be an understatement!
April 19th, 2021 at 3:44 pm
@Tye,
That draft was crap. We were the worst team in the league at the wrong time. Both Jameis and Mariota both suck. But, you can’t blame the Bucs for drafting either one of them. They were consensus #1 picks.
April 19th, 2021 at 3:45 pm
I’m telling you the dude is just goofy. He runs funny he moves awkwardly for a athlete or even a regular person. You can guarantee really you can Guarantee he’s going to do 2 or more things in a game that make you say “What in the name of gods green earth is this guy doing?”
April 19th, 2021 at 3:49 pm
Waiting on the “chew on my 7 rings” speech by Tom Brady
April 19th, 2021 at 3:57 pm
Jameis didn’t go over very well, did he?
April 19th, 2021 at 3:59 pm
yo quiero taco bell…
can’t we all just wolf down tacos like a sober josh freebird
April 19th, 2021 at 4:11 pm
“But that particular thing didn’t go over well with the rest of the team, and the outcome of that game kind of proved it.”
We all knew this team was mentally weak then, but this is ridiculous. Losing a game that badly and blaming one stupid speech is worse than the stupid speech. This is why it took the goat to get through to this team. Just a great quarterback wouldn’t have made it. That qb would have fallen into the abyss just like every other coach and great player we had over the lost decade.
April 19th, 2021 at 4:11 pm
I was a huge JW fan…..
…. even I was all like “What the f- is he talking about?”
April 19th, 2021 at 4:14 pm
and David played awesome incredible in the superbowl game. doubt we could win without his game!
April 19th, 2021 at 4:33 pm
We act like this was the first time Jameis ever said some really weird stuff like this. If you followed the pre-game speeches the team occasionally put up on their website back then, you wouldn’t have been surprised.
This was by no means the first pre-game speech Jameis gave that made players think, “Wtf?”.
The only reason this was different is because of the airtime it was given on Fox.
April 19th, 2021 at 4:51 pm
The absolute “jump the shark/shart” moment of Winny’s career. That’s so cringy it’s not even funny. Something not quite right in that brain of his. Crocodile tears when asked about Brees’ retirement also. Then there’s Tom Brady…still can’t believe any of this is real after the lost decade + and clown costume uniforms of 2013-2019. Lavonte being as nice/diplomatic as possible…but he was obviously embarrassed beyond belief as well.
April 19th, 2021 at 4:54 pm
Add the uniforms to the embarrassment of that era. Even the original orange has the 1979 team. Those digital clock numbers were just a train wreck from the beginning. What a horrible set of years for Bucs fans.
April 19th, 2021 at 4:58 pm
Oddly not the worst speech of JW’s career. Check out his motivational speech to elementary children.
“Boys should be strong and girls should be silent.”
Yikes. A total PR nightmare.
April 19th, 2021 at 5:02 pm
We should thank Winston all the years we had high draft picks because of him, helped us build a superbowl winning roster.
April 19th, 2021 at 5:29 pm
Unbelievably cringeworthy. Wow.
Please don’t ever post about this again, Joe. There are probably small children that read this site. Why put them through this horror.
April 19th, 2021 at 5:33 pm
Joe
Pretty sure you thought that speech was cool. 😂
And backed stmt by saying that it was so cool that college kids were imitating it.
April 19th, 2021 at 5:39 pm
The day Jaboo’s time here died, at least in the eyes of his teammates…off the field hijinks notwithstanding.
April 19th, 2021 at 5:47 pm
Isn’t it telling that even after this embarrassment, when he won a game against us (a game he wasn’t even a factor, btw) he himself brought this up?!?… while playing for the team that hammered him when he decided to eat Ws?!?… talking about conscience of self…geezzzz…. 🙄
April 19th, 2021 at 5:53 pm
Hey everybody, we’re going streakin’ in the quad! Come on we’re going streaking!
April 19th, 2021 at 6:03 pm
Jay Miss remains the village idiot.
April 19th, 2021 at 6:53 pm
JW made mistakes as a young man just like me & everyone else, He played hard & I wish him the best. Not worried a New Orleans since Brees has retired…
April 19th, 2021 at 7:30 pm
Let us not forget !! I believe he was right back pulling the same stunt with Drew Brees after the second win over the Bucs !! Drew is kinda a clown , Winston Stunt, Diamond Stunt , Comment back track beat down like a bitch by racist Nfl .
April 19th, 2021 at 8:03 pm
@lambchop
Oh I agree!
just saying 5 years of Mariota would have been WAY more tolerable, a WHOLE lot less interceptions and MOST likely a few more wins because he would not have thrown several games away to the opponent…
But, GOOD RIDDENCE to them days!
April 19th, 2021 at 8:19 pm
If Jameis had ended up being a good player, “eat a W” shirts would be selling for $50.00 apiece. I never really held that against him, but I’m still disappointed that he didn’t pan out. We are 0- and a lot for developing and holding onto young qb’s, so maybe Arians can work his magic there too?
April 19th, 2021 at 8:33 pm
Hey everybody, we’re going streakin’ in the quad! Come on we’re going streaking!
………………………………………………………………………………
“I love you Blue. Your my man.”
April 19th, 2021 at 9:02 pm
Jameass Winsnone deliberately lost games out of anger at his team. Video evidence clearly shows it. How he is even playing in the NFL is a head scratcher. I mean the man is a perv to begin with and on the field the coaches had to dummy down the play calling because he couldn’t get it.
Reading defenses? You kidding? He should have won defensive player of the year 5vyears in a row. For me when I saw his infamous eating was speech it was but a footnote to an already long list of stupid mistakes he had already made. I found it hoooolarious when the rest of the team looked at him like he was a moron and even he knew it wasn’t going well so he became even more motivated to act the fool. New Orleans are obviously stupid. Good luck Saints you are gonna need it.
April 19th, 2021 at 9:21 pm
But go back and see how many games did this defense give up in his time in Tampa . He wasn’t perfect just like all them bottom ranked defenses he played with . It’s a lot of blame that can go around with this organization and developing quarterbacks . But the thing I liked about Jamies he played hard every game even when his defense lost them games he never through them under the bus . So I wish him well except when he play the bucs !! I saw his last interview and he never said anything bad about the bucs . In fact he congratulated them for winning the championship so it seems to me he has more class then yall .
April 19th, 2021 at 9:51 pm
A bunch of athletes standing around sucking on their twisted fingers!
I mean……that gets Howard fired up for game day!!……..wait……
….I mean……what?
April 19th, 2021 at 9:52 pm
Oh he definitely started by eating a S then a big fat H, followed but an I, and huge T at the end.
April 19th, 2021 at 9:57 pm
Gee oneilbuc. I guess blameless Jameis didn’t put his defenses in holes with the almost 90 interceptions and 50 fumbles. Sure the guy could throw far downfield. Damn those wr for not wearing trampoline cleats to catch them. How about after he threw Pic 6s then had a laugh on the sideline? Saw that a few times. My all time favorite was when he would yell at his teammates then take his moronic ass on field to throw the game away. This is why I say he lost games deliberately. He is a immature child acting like he is a man. Good pick buddy, you really back the weiners
April 19th, 2021 at 10:14 pm
Oneilbuc,
“…He never said anything bad about the bucs.”
“…so it seems to me he has more class then yall.”
ARE YOU JOKING?
Jameis showed ZERO CLASS after they beat us 38-3 in November. “Eating a W” on camera during Brees’ interview, and his ridiculous over-the-top dancing in the locker room after the game, celebrating like he just won his 10th Super Bowl in a row.
April 19th, 2021 at 10:15 pm
Stanford kids too!
April 19th, 2021 at 10:24 pm
The Bucs just won a Super Bowl and Oneilbuc is talking about how the defense somehow let Jameis down. This is what I’m talking about, debates that no longer matter. There’s been a Championship won since then. Think about that instead of the negatives of years past.
April 19th, 2021 at 10:25 pm
Cainishere Again you keep blaming him for those trash defenses but I saw the games . Not in order Packers remember the bucs were winning late in the 4th quarter . Packers won in overtime and Jamies never touch the field. Same year remember the Bills game the offense scored late in the 4th quarter with 40 seconds left . Tyrod Taylor went 80 yards in 2 plays . In the same year Thursday night against the falcons . Bucs had the lead Devonta Freeman ran a 40 yard touchdown and won the game defense needed 1 stop . Same year Lions game OJ Howard fumble twice on the goal line and defense couldn’t make the stops to win. And those games were in 2017 . How about that raiders game in 2016 defense couldn’t make a stop . And we can look at 019 . The Seahawks game , the Gaints game they scored on the first play on the second half . And Jamies put the team in position to win and the kicker lost the game . And we all know it’s more games than that but you keep blaming 1 guy and that’s without a 1,000 yard rushing runningback . Rojo should have been a 1,000 yards rusher but we know BA took it from him and he miss like 4 games I think ? Now yall are held hostage over Brady who will be 44 years old with no quarterback to develop so far I will wait to see how the draft goes.
April 19th, 2021 at 10:33 pm
Oneilbuc: If you want to give a list of excuses, why not go to a Saints site where somebody might actually care?
April 19th, 2021 at 10:46 pm
Joe from Michigan . You are right the bucs did win a championship and I was celebrating at my brother’s house . But the point is that Brady will be leaving soon and if this team don’t understand that you have to be more balanced on offense with a young quarterback and bring in a coach that’s willing to bring in a system what that quarterback does best . You will get the same results. I remember Andy Reid ever having a bust at quarterback. Because he set his plays on what they do best. Look how all those systems was different from the other . McNabb, Smith, Vic, and now Mahomes . That’s how you develop quarterbacks but you have to bring in coaches wich I think we got them on the staff already. The defense is really set for the future in key positions maybe bring in some younger players . All they have to do is bring in a young quarterback he don’t have to be a hall of famer to have sustained success. Go bucs !!
April 19th, 2021 at 10:53 pm
O’NeilBucs,
Jameis turns it over too much.
The GB game you are referring too, is that the one where Jameis tossed a pick six while falling to his backside, all but handing it off to the GB defender?
The Buc defenses were “trashier” w Jameis at QB bc all the turnovers were the worst in the league in that time. And consider the era of football Peyton manning struggled similarly in a different era, and he went on to dominate. We will see how Jameis does.
No excuses for him, we won a SB w a QB in his first year w the team, during a pandemic.
The GOAT has another year or two. He’s a friggin stud and we are so dam. Lucky to have him. He was the kissing piece.
April 19th, 2021 at 11:23 pm
Is it just me or is the only defensive acquisition since Winston was here is Winfield? Lol Jameis had weapons all around him bit could do nothing with them. Sure he threw for yards whooopeeee. Hey I wanna be Jameis fan too yaaay
April 19th, 2021 at 11:34 pm
Let me check my sheet, last season did the Bucs have a 1000 yard rusher? Nope
Was the defense good all year? Nope
Did receivers drop passes? Not a lot but yes some. You remind me of the lawyer for a known serial killer, more excuses than a kindergartener
April 19th, 2021 at 11:37 pm
It was stupid, but who here has never done or said anything stupid? Winston was not as bad as people like to claim.
We had to move on from him, but the fact that he landed with the Saints could bite us later. There is top-notch coaching there.
April 19th, 2021 at 11:39 pm
Winston is immune to coaching.
Ask Jimbo, Dirk and The Biscuit
April 19th, 2021 at 11:40 pm
Some sports fans are born to hate. I get hating on a team, especially division rivals. But unless a players does something truly horrible, I don’t get it. Winston was fine. He’ll succeed eventually, to a point. I just hope he doesn’t do it against us.
April 19th, 2021 at 11:42 pm
Howard Cosell, Dirk wasn’t really a QB coach. Arians only does well with veteran WBs.
Peyton can teach him. I have a feeling Brees retired because he knew it would give Jameis an opportunity.
April 19th, 2021 at 11:42 pm
When my son says cringey so often, this is the first thing that always comes to my mind. Look at everyone’s face while he says that. There wasn’t a person that didn’t want to puke.
April 19th, 2021 at 11:45 pm
So basically you are saying players on the team didn’t care because they had a jackass for a QB so they didn’t put forth enough effort sabotaging poor crab stealing desk top dancing Uber fondling Jameass Winsnone, then you add Brady and now everyone tries their best. Is that right? Well when you eat saltine crackers then are given steak your actions change my friend. I always said I don’t blame the defense for giving up. They were on the field 3 quarters of the game trying to defend Jameass’s mistakes. Oh man you are something else let me tell ya oneilbuc
April 19th, 2021 at 11:47 pm
Howard doesn’t hate anyone. Winston is one of Gods creatures. However Howard will call it like he sees it.
Let he who is without crab legs cast the first stone.
All that said, Howard doesn’t see Winston suddenly becoming smart with the football just because the Saints were good when Brees was there
April 19th, 2021 at 11:49 pm
‘
Yes!!!! It’s sooo clear now!
April 19th, 2021 at 11:57 pm
Oneilbuc: If you were the Bucs GM, would you take Kyle Trask in the 1st Round? Or 2nd Round? Me personally, I have no idea if Trask will or will not be good at the NFL level. I’d be okay with the Bucs drafting a developmental QB on the 3rd day of the draft.
April 20th, 2021 at 12:04 am
I don’t hate Jameis. I just don’t like guys on this site that still support him.
He is an athlete that made a lot of money while playing for my beloved Bucs and we do not owe him anything more from a fan base perspective.
Those that still like him can choose to be closet New Orleans Saints fans. I do not have respect for you though especially since you then decide to post on a Bucs site about Jameis skill set.
I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep
for Jameis, and you curse the Bucs for releasing him.
You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Jameis being cut, saved our 2020 and 2021 seasons.
And his eating W’s phrase, was grotesque and incomprehensible to his teammates.
You don’t want the truth about Jameis because deep down in places you don’t talk about at parties, he was never about winning or safe play calling.
Brady uses this as the backbone of a football skill set. Jameis used them as a “W” punchline.
I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a poster who accepts a player that throws 30 interceptions and fumbles 12 more times in a season. Instead, I choose the freedom to love the man that in the 1st and 2nd quarter throws the ball away on 3rd and 3 instead of forcing the interception.
That very freedom that Tom Brady provides and the manner in which we now believe we can win it all again.
I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your New Orleans Saints
way: Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a pen, and send a post supporting the Buc’s.
April 20th, 2021 at 12:21 am
Oh come on guys, you know O’Neil wishes he was JW’S jock. You knew he went “from six to midnight” when he read this article.
April 20th, 2021 at 1:08 am
Die to be in Brady’s pre game huddle week one this year.
April 20th, 2021 at 2:35 am
Oneilbucs,
You keep harping on this “develop a young QB” stuff due to your obsession with Winston.
We’ve won TWO Super Bowls now… both of them with older, experienced free agent QBs that we signed.
You keep hanging on to your dream of “developing a young QB” and the rest of us will enjoy our two Lombardi trophies.
Again, 80% of the teams in the NFL haven’t “developed a young QB” and won the Super Bowl with them.
April 20th, 2021 at 4:48 am
Agreed, this is like saying the Bucs need to develop a young kicker. No, they just need a kicker who makes kicks. Period.
April 20th, 2021 at 7:57 am
Maybe the Bucs will “develop” a young Aaron Rodgers when his GB days are over when Brady retires in ’23…
April 20th, 2021 at 8:13 am
I will remember Jameis for his average of four horrible games a year where he gave the other team an insurmountable lead before halftime. That is what will follow Jameis along with his off field issues.
April 20th, 2021 at 8:44 am
That Green Bay gm he talking about was a defensive gm on both sides. Winston lost that gm by trying to do to much. Tom Brady actually has a feel for the gm and knows how gms are playing out.
April 20th, 2021 at 8:55 am
Cobraboy. Rogers is not coming here you might as well stop saying Rogers. I don’t think they bringing in Rogers. But I know how you feel . You don’t believe that the bucs can develop a young quarterback because they failed them all . But I still think that they can develop a quarterback.
April 20th, 2021 at 9:00 am
Joe from Michigan . I will love to have Kyle Trask I trust Trask more than Mac Jones . Go look at the Alabama game up against that defense. Mac Jones had first round draft picks with 2 of his wr. A first round runningback and on the offensive line . Now he might be good I don’t know .
April 20th, 2021 at 9:07 am
Steve K it was strip sack fumble from his blind side where his offensive linman stood there and watch. I will never blame that on no quarterback. But I ask you what was the score of the game late in the 4th quarter? Because Brady threw 3 picks in the GB game and defense stepped up . Even in the red zone so that’s the difference in that game. But you going to say I hate Brady because I told the truth .
April 20th, 2021 at 9:18 am
No
April 20th, 2021 at 9:50 am
Oneilbucs you get so excited when making excuses for him. But refuse to admit he better step his gm up this year. Keep living in a fantasy world where winston doesn’t have to perform up to standards.
April 20th, 2021 at 10:54 am
Jameis tried to lead with his rah rah immature mouth. Not by action nor example. He probably lost the locker room after he lied about his Uber incident.
April 20th, 2021 at 11:26 am
Chris how you know she ain’t lie ?? That was the me too movement that convict him . But when you a young black man you are guilty to most white man . So shut up just like Brady cheated in New England right lol 😆 🤣 😂 but you don’t believe that do you ??
April 20th, 2021 at 1:22 pm
Oneilbuc he admitted he lied with his apology and payoff. Lying and denying it at first is what turned his teammates off it’s known some of his teammates didn’t like him afterwards.
April 20th, 2021 at 2:00 pm
Omg we are picking on a poor black man. Omg you dillusional nut bag 🎒 Many of us were happy when he was drafted but he destroyed it all with his antics. Placing Bucs fans in your racists basket 🧺 just goes to show how stupid you really are.
April 20th, 2021 at 10:36 pm
the JBF article trashing jameis is garnering the most web traffic??!! there must be a mixup. not the reigning SB champion Buccaneers, who surely have better things to talk about than the Eat a W speech.
this fanbase, man. also.. @geno711 what are you even talking about
April 21st, 2021 at 10:00 pm
@penny2shaq – Right on! Why? So much hate for JW on this board. Dude, it will get worse next year when we play Saints…
And @Geno711 – dude – kudos – amazing rendition of the scene from movie ” A Few Good Men” by Col. Nathan Jessup 20 minute scene – exceptional acting by Jack Nicholson, for those of you who were confused.
And Geno – not that I agree or disagree with you, but dude – how much time did you spend on that post????