Winston earns MVP honors at Under Armour All-America Game

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- A Jameis Winston 75-yard touchdown pass to Alabama-bound wide receiver Amari Cooper sparked Team Blur's 49-16 rout over Team Highlight in the Under Armour All-America Game on Thursday night. Winston went 8-of-9 passing for 178 yards and two touchdowns, earning MVP honors for his accomplishments.

"This is what I worked for my whole life," he said. "When I was a kid watching this game, I always said, 'I am going to win that award.' And then I did."

Florida commits Brian Poole and Marcus Maye manufactured defensive scoring plays for Team Blur, as its highly touted unit limited Team Highlight to 260 yards of total offense. Poole returned an interception 93 yards for a touchdown, while Maye blocked a Ross Martin punt for a safety in the third quarter.

"We had multiple opportunities to make plays out on the field," said Maye. "I just came out here and decided to make plays."

Quarterback Chad Kelly was the lone bright spot for Team Highlight, accounting for 168 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. USC-bound tight end Jalen Cope-Fitzpatrick and uncommitted wideout Davonte Neal hauled in the scoring receptions, respectively.

Neither team produced much in the way of a ground game, combining for 107 yards on 61 carries. That's credit to the caliber of defensive linemen on the field: Ohio State-bound defensive end Noah Spence registered a game-high three sacks and seven tackles, and teammate Jordan Jenkins recorded two sacks and eight tackles.

Cooper, who hauled in the game's opening score, also ran back a 93-yard punt return for a touchdown, embodying Blur's dominance in a final highlight-reel play.

"At first it looked like there was a whole bunch of guys there," he explained. "But then I stopped for a second and saw a crease and I took it. It was open."

Cooper added, "I'll always remember that. It was great. It was what we came here for. I didn't expect it to be this big of a gap, but it feels great."