Upon his release from the service he played running back at Washington University in St. Louis, where Weeb Ewbank was head coach.
[1] When Ewbank was hired as head coach of the Baltimore Colts in 1954, Winner went along and helped the team capture NFL titles in both 1958 and 1959.
Winner worked two years for the Redskins, helping them reach the NFL playoffs during each season and their first Super Bowl berth ever in 1972.
Renewing acquaintances with Don Shula in 1981, Winner was hired to serve as player personnel director for the Miami Dolphins.
He spent two years in that role before shifting to pro personnel, performing many of the same duties as a general manager, especially negotiating player contracts.