Jameis Winston stayed after practice Tuesday to throw a few extra passes to Cameron Brate, Alan Cross, O.J. Howard and someone hoping to one day latch onto an NFL roster.
That player? Eight-year-old Michael Vernon II of Brandon, who was a mere autograph seeker until Bucs assistants invited him onto the field.
It can take some time for a quarterback and a new receiver to develop chemistry, but Winston and Vernon got on the same page in short order. After Winston's first three attempts fell incomplete, he tied up Vernon's oversized red Bucs t-shirt, which was touching his knees.