Jameis Winston assisted Japanese fans in their cleanup efforts after Sunday's World Cup match in Dallas.
Japan began their tournament with a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands. After the game, fans stayed to throw out garbage in the stands of AT&T Stadium.
They received help from an NFL player. A video surfaced of Winston holding a blue garbage bag open so a Japanese fan in a wheelchair could throw out bottles.
The fan, Haruki Mochida, admitted on social media that he didn't realize who Winston was until he saw the moment go viral.
"After the Japan–Netherlands match, I picked up litter with Jameis Winston who kindly held the bag open," Mochida wrote. "I later found out he was an NFL star. Maybe, along with the litter, I picked up a miracle. Let’s pick up miracles together and make every World Cup stadium shine."
Winston responded to Mochida's heartwarming post with a warm message of his own.
"Thank you and all the Japanese supporters for sharing your traditions with me! This World Cup is all about spreading culture and miracles," Winston said.
Winston expresses admiration for Japanese fans
© Mark Smith-Imagn Images
World Cup fans know that Japanese attendees don't leave a mess behind. Observers noticed their tidiness when they cleaned the stadium after a gutting 2018 elimination loss to Russia.
"For Japanese people, this is just a normal thing to do," Hajime Moriyasu, the coach of Japan's 2022 team, told The Athletic. "When you leave a place, you have to leave it cleaner than it was before."
Winston praised those actions in a video made by Fox Sports, which has deployed the former No. 1 pick as a World Cup correspondent.
"I believe gratitude is the key to abundance. And just understanding the tradition of the Japanese fans that no trash is left behind, that they take intention in cleaning up after themselves because they respect the venue," Winston said. "They respect the FIFA organization, they respect the game of football itself. So, they believe and understand the importance of what their community believes, and they've been practicing this since they were very little children."
The former Heisman Trophy winner noted that they're also careful to properly recycle while disposing of waste.
"Even the specifics of the details of focusing on the little things. They separate the paper and plastic from the aluminum," Winston added. "So that detail, and that respect and reverence for the game is something that I love."
