ANTOINE Winfield Jr predicted he would be an All Pro and the highest-paid safety in the NFL a year ago.
And he fulfilled both dreams after landing a massive $84 million contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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The deal keeps the 25-year-old superstar defender in Florida for four years.
“I don’t even know how to explain it,” Winfield Jr. said. FOX 13 Sports. “It’s very surreal, but I know one thing I did.
“I went to my calculator and typed in the contract. I was like, wow, this is crazy.”
Winfield Jr has been in the NFL for four years and is the only player to record 100 tackles, three sacks, three interceptions, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in a season.
But he was snubbed from this year’s Pro Bowl — a move his former NFL star father criticized.
“I’m still going to be here, performing and playing hard,” added the Super Bowl LV champion. “This is something that is in my DNA.”
Winfield Jr learned from the best when his 46-year-old father played 14 seasons at cornerback.
The security guard even watched movies with Winfield Sr as a child.
“What I remember most was when he played against Detroit,” Winfield Jr. recalled. “He had a little DVD player, a little CD player.
“He was sitting down and had a movie sitting on his bed. I remember going up and asking him what he was doing.
“He said ‘I’ve got Calvin Johnson this week, so we’re trying to figure out how to stop him.’
“He was going over what he should do on certain parts and how he should shut it down.”
Winfield Jr. has surpassed his father’s accomplishments and the former Minnesota Vikings tight end couldn’t be prouder.
“He was kind of screaming the whole time,” Winfield Jr. said when asked how his father took the news.
“He was like ‘Yes!’ So that’s what he was doing. He was proud.”
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After winning the Super Bowl with NFL great Tom Brady, Winfield Jr is now hoping Baker Mayfield can do the same.
The former Cleveland Browns passer has found a new life in Tampa.
Mayfield signed a three-year, $115 million contract as the Buccaneers tied up key players on both sides of the ball.
Star wideout Mike Evans also signed a two-year contract.
The Bucs’ secondary will look different next season after former cornerback Carlton Davis III was traded to Detroit.
Safety Jordan Whitehead and cornerback Tavierre Thomas were added in free agency and Tampa drafted CB Tykee Smith from Georgia.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
