Jameis Winston speaks publicly about Uber groping allegations

Jameis Winston has been down this road before.

The Buccaneers quarterback, who has most recently been accused of sexually assaulting an Uber driver, spoke publicly for the first time Thursday and denied the allegations against him, according to an ESPN report.

"I have no fear at all (of being suspended). But I have to respect (the NFL's) process," Winston said. "I'm just going to respect the process, most importantly. That's all I can do."

Prior to his comments Thursday, Winston, who has been dealing with a shoulder issue recently, issued a statement shortly after the allegations came to light, denying any wrongdoing.

Eagles cornerback Ronald Darby, who was a teammate of Winston's at FSU, came to the quarterback's defense in a statement.

"There were three of us in the car, not just one as has been reported," Darby said in a statement to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport earlier in November. "Myself and Jameis were in the backseat. I am confident that nothing inappropriate in nature happened in the car that evening and Jameis did not have any physical contact with the Uber driver. The accusations are just not true."

As the ESPN report notes, this isn't the first time Winston has been accused of sexual assault, as the quarterback was accused of rape during his college playing days, leading to a $950,000 settlement between the woman and Florida State.

"One thing about my family is that we're very strong in our faith and we're very strong in believing that nothing in our past can control our future," Winston said Thursday. "Since I got to Tampa Bay and how I've grown the past few years — [that's]meant a lot to my family, seeing my development through college. I think that's more important than what could be said from any outside source."