Winston 'excited' to get back on the field after opt out
DaeSean Winston has come back hungrier than ever.
And, according to his position coach, he’s done so with a chip on his shoulder.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pound junior safety opted out of the 2020 campaign due to COVID-19 concerns.
“I decided to sit out in the fall definitely because of COVID, '' Winston said during Temple’s media availability this past week. “That was my big concern, one and then two, to be honest, I just wasn’t in the best space mentally. I feel like I couldn’t give the team as much as I could give now. So, I figured why not just sit home, stay safe, stay with my family, make sure my family’s safe...and when I come back give the team more of myself that I could give them and just be 100% in.”
Now that he’s finally back in the fold for Temple’s spring practice, he’s hungry and ready to make some noise in Temple’s safety room. Winston is already running with the 1s in practice, according to veteran safety and team leader Amir Tyler.
“It felt great,” Winston said during Temple’s media availability this past week. “A lot of people made jokes, ‘I don’t know if he’s still got it anymore,’ but it’s just like riding a bike. It’s something you never lose once you gain it. It was just a great feeling. I was really excited to be out there. It felt good to put pads on and hit again.”
Prior to last season, Winston saw time in a rotational role. He recorded 19 total tackles and a tackle for loss in 13 games played across 2019. As a true freshman in 2018, Winston totaled seven tackles and a fumble recovery.
Looking to get back to that form, Winston spent his time away from the team staying in shape.
Winston’s father built him a weight set out in their backyard in Severn, Maryland. Every day, Winston was out there trying to keep his strength up during his time away from the team. Whenever they could, the two would go to a local field and work on his footwork and conditioning.
“My dad is a big reason why I’m here,” Winston said. “My dad, when I was in high school, a lot of people don’t know this about my dad. He basically sold our house and we had to move in with my Grandma, just so he could pay for me to go to a Catholic school, so I could get looks for football. He’s sacrificed a lot over the years and I just can’t be any more grateful. I just appreciate him so much.”
Now that he’s back in North Philadelphia, Winston has that similar family dynamic with Tyler Yelk.
“It’s like a father-son relationship,” he said. “He can be a little bit hard on me in practice, but I know it’s out of love. [He’s just trying] to see me become a great player. In the winter, we just build our relationship, me coming in just watching film and me just getting with him, learning things in the playbook.”
“He has single-handedly done the most in the dark out of anybody in my room right now,” Yelk said. “I’ve challenged my other guys that way. How does a guy that took a year off have the scheme and the Xs and Os down pat? Because he’s been in. He’s watched every snap of the season last year. He’s been in asking me questions. He’s been in my office all the time, bugging me about it, which I encourage those guys to do. He’s put in the work to get himself in a position to come back, behind the eight ball a little bit from other guys with experience and be in a position to compete. That’s full credit to him on that.”