Jameis Winston celebrates with crab legs after going No. 1

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ESPN.com news services
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May 1, 2015, 12:32 AM ET
3 min read

— -- Jameis Winston celebrated in style on draft night -- and poked some fun at his past.

Hours after being selected by the Buccaneers with the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft, Winston posted an Instagram photo of himself posing in front of a serving of crab legs.

The photo was later removed from his Instagram page. Winston had tweeted, "Thanks Capt for the crab legs," and linked to the Instagram photo before it was deleted.

The Tampa Bay Times reported Friday that the Buccaneers "encouraged" Winston to take down the photo. However, a source told ESPN's Ed Werder on Friday that the Bucs were not involved in the decision to remove the image.

The photo likely was a reference to when Winston was cited for shoplifting crab legs from a supermarket last year, one of several off-the-field incidents that marred his college career at  Florida State.

Winston wore a No. 3 Buccaneers jersey and team cap in the photo. The 21-year-old quarterback repeatedly has said he has learned from the off-the-field mistakes that threatened to undermine his stock in the draft.

The 2013 Heisman Trophy winner was issued a civil citation for shoplifting on April 29, 2014, after he walked out of a Tallahassee, Florida, supermarket without paying for $32 worth of crab legs and crawfish. At the time, Winston acknowledged he "made a terrible mistake," saying he left the store "without paying for one of my items."

But during a recent appearance on ESPN's Draft Academy, Winston claimed he did not steal the crab legs, saying instead that they were given to him by a grocery store employee.

Winston also was accused of sexual assault during his freshman season at Florida State but never was charged. In addition, he generated negative headlines last season when he was suspended for one game after climbing onto a table in the FSU student union and shouting an obscenity.

Winston thanked the Buccaneers for drafting him Thursday night.

"Actions speak so much louder than words, or what they may have read or what they may have heard," he said. "It's about your actions. Whatever is in the past is in the past. I look forward to gaining everyone's trust."