Johnny Manziel will go down as one of the most electrifying players in college football history.
Manziel became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, capturing the award in his redshirt year on the strength of remarkable performances on the ground and in the air.
Manziel was born in Tyler, Texas, but prepped at Kerrville’s Tivy High. An exciting all-around athlete, Manziel’s dual-threat quarterbacking skills were highly coveted by several schools including Baylor, Colorado State, Louisiana Tech, Iowa State, Rice, Stanford, Tulsa, Wyoming and Oregon, where he originally committed (along with 2014 Heisman winner Marcus Mariota) in the summer of 2010.
But Johnny Manziel switched allegiances to A&M on Sept. 20, 2010, and signed with the Aggies the following February. After redshirting in 2011, he burst on to the scene in 2012, piling up an SEC-record 4,600 yards of total offense while leading A&M to a 10-2 regular season record in its first season in the fabled league.
Manziel threw for 3,419 yards and 24 touchdowns while adding 1,181 yards with 19 scores on the ground. The key game in his Heisman resume came when he led the Aggies to a 29-24 upset of No. 1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa, totaling 345 yards of total offense while ripping off several highlight-reel plays.
For his efforts, he was named the SEC Freshman of the Year, the Davey O’Brien winner and the 77th recipient of the Heisman Trophy.
He later led Texas A&M to a 41-13 smashing of Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl, as he produced 516 yards of offense and four touchdowns.
Manziel returned to school in 2013 and threw for 4,114 yards and 37 touchdowns while rushing for 759 yards and nine scores. His two-year total offense and touchdown total: A remarkable 9,989 yards and 93 scores. He was once again voted to the Heisman ceremony as a finalist, finishing fifth behind Jameis Winston.
Following the 2013 season, Manziel made himself available to the NFL draft. He was selected in the first round, 22nd overall, by the Cleveland Browns.
Johnny Manziel Is At Top Of The List For New Arena League Commissioner As AFL Attempts Re-launch
The Arena League (AFL) is primed for a comeback and they want Johnny Football badly according to a new report.
TMZ Sports spoke with new AFL commissioner Lee Hutton III — on the exciting times for the country’s favorite sport … and he’s eyeing some big names to join in.
“Absolutely,” Hutton said when asked about the league targeting former stars.
“Some of them have received personal [direct messages] from me. I reached out to Johnny Manziel. So, Johnny, I’m a Texas guy. So, if you’re ready to come back and indoors — because you did very well — we will take you. We will find a spot for you.”
31-year-old Manziel was one of the most electric players on the gridiron once upon a time … winning the Heisman in 2012 and eventually going in the first round of the NFL Draft two years later.
But his NFL career was riddled with chaos and dysfunction and it was a disaster to say the least.
Ian Rappaport and ESPN’s Pat McManamon reported that the Browns planned to cut ties with Manziel as soon as the league’s fiscal 2016 began.
Earlier, following news that Manziel was being investigated for a domestic violence incident with his ex-girlfriend, the Browns released a statement saying that Manziel’s continued disregard of their “expectations for our players on and off the field” had undermined the Browns’ reputation, and that they intended to address his status “as soon as permitted by league rules.” He was released in March of 2016 and his NFL career came to an abrupt ending.
Manziel — who has now admitted to his struggles with drugs and alcohol and has spoken publicly about working hard to better his life — had stints with the CFL but the drama continued.
His last stop attempting to play professionally came in 2020 when he signed as a member of the new Fan Controlled Football League which didn’t last long. In a February 2021 USA Today interview, Manziel stated he joined the league out of boredom, and expressed disinterest in playing any more professional football in the future.
Unless there’s been a drastic change in Johnny Manziel’s mindset, it’s tough to see him agreeing to play in the AFL, but it’s obvious why the league would benefit from the star power he would bring.