It’s hard to discuss college football without talking about Johnny Manziel. The world remembers the former Texas A&M star as ‘Johnny Football’, whose electric play as a dual-threat QB saw him become arguably one of the best CFB players of all time. Manziel shattered records as a red-shirt freshman, surpassing milestones set by legends including Tim Tebow and Cam Newton.
Advertisement
In 2012, Manziel became the first freshman to pass for over 3,000 yards and rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season. He amassed an astounding 5,116 total yards of offense — a freshman record, surpassing Tebow and Newton.
Johnny Football recalled how a slow start to the season, and fear that he would lose his starting quarterback job to teammate Jameil Showers, changed the course of his career. His 2012 season started with Texas A&M losing their first game to Florida, followed by a shaky first half against SMU in their next matchup. Everything changed in the second half of the SMU game.
“Came out in the 2nd half of the game versus SMU and that’s where the run kind of started for me that season. To go from August of that year battling for the starting QB job to being able to end in December in New York with the Heisman and these records, it was just like a dream,” Manziel said on the latest episode of the 25/10 Show.
Manziel went on a tear that would culminate with him winning the Heisman Trophy in December. After that season, and the crowning moment in the Big Apple, he became a household name. It brought Manziel fame and fortune, with celebs and musicians like Drake hanging around him.
“At that time, I was on top of the world”: Manziel
Johnny Football’s historic season earned him the Heisman Trophy, the Davey O’Brien Award, and the Manning Award, making him the first freshman in history to win all three.
Manziel revealed that after his Heisman win, he felt like he was on top of the world. He admitted that as a kid growing up in Tyler, Texas, he could never have imagined achieving such heights.
“I feel like very much at that time I was on top of the world. I mean, you couldn’t turn on the TV or SportsCenter without seeing something that had to do with me. It was nuts. I did get to meet and hang out with people and do things. It’s a blessing,” he said.
Johnny Football carried his momentum into the following season, throwing for 4,114 yards and 37 touchdowns while rushing for 759 yards and adding 9 more scores on the ground. It was his final season in college. He declared for the NFL Draft soon after, and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in 2014.
However, that decision marked a turning point in his career. Some of his bad habits from college, like heavy drinking and partying, followed him to the big league. His first season was marred by these problems, and an injury cut it short; he started just two games, played in five, and came up empty-handed in terms of scores.
His second season was a bit better, as he racked up 7 TDs in 6 starts and about 1,500 passing yards, but it still wasn’t enough. His off-field issues made matters worse, and the Browns decided to sack him after just two seasons.
This truly makes Manziel one of the biggest “what if” stories in football history. He did attempt a comeback by playing in the Canadian Football League and some indoor football leagues, but it didn’t quite work out. However, Manziel is still engaged with the sport he loves, regularly commenting on it, talking about Heisman contenders, and staying in the conversation. Who knows, maybe a commentator job is in the works for him in the future.
