“I’ve matured enough to understand what it really takes to be a leader,” said Winston, who entered a pretrial diversion program after the Publix incident and completed 20 hours of community service. “When you’re out there and the spotlight is on you, you have to be very careful with everything you do, and I feel like I’m doing a better job doing that.”
He was asked if what he went through changed the way he looks at the media and law enforcement.
“Definitely not, because I fixed everything,” he said. “I was cleared and, I mean, I’ve got to hold myself to a certain standard. … I have teammates that are counting on me. Accountability is something that’s very important to me.”
He said he learned that “everyone is always going to be watching you, and you have to do the right thing.”
“Do you understand why people might be hesitant to believe you?” Winston was asked.
“I definitely understand that because of the perspective, but I know the type of person I am, and I know I have support from my teammates and that I was raised by a great family. That’s the least of my worries what people think.”