When Eagles linebacker DeMeco Ryans played for Jess Lanier High School in Bessemer, Ala., it wasn't uncommon for assistant coach Harry Winston to bring his precocious nephew to practice, a budding youth player who, even at 6 or 7 years old, was happy to tell the older boys about his exploits as a quarterback.
"He was this young kid, always throwing the ball around, always talking about how great he was in little league and how he was dominating games even back then," Ryans said with a laugh. "I always kind of kept up with him."
Harry's nephew was named Jameis, and this Sunday, for the first time, Ryans will try to keep up with Winston in person as the Eagles play Tampa Bay and a rookie quarterback who has taken a not-always-straight path from Bessemer to the NFL.