Feb 22, 2014
Last season Johnny “Football” Manziel was the most exciting player in college football. His rise to stardom occurred as a red-shirt freshmen during the 2012 season. The upset minded Texas A&M Aggies traveled to Tuscaloosa and beat the #1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide 29-24. The young quarterback and his Aggies jumped out to a 20-0 lead after one quarter of play. Manziel and his “no fear” approach seemed to inspire the team as a whole. After Alabama got over the shock of being thoroughly out-played, they reeled off fourteen straight points for a 20-14 halftime deficit.
The second half consisted of huge plays being made by both teams. The Aggies went on to make all the necessary plays needed to preserve the upset. Manziel finished the game with significant numbers by passing for 253 yards and two touchdowns. He also contributed to A&M’s significant time of possession by rushing for 92 yards. During the season, media members nicknamed the quarterback “Johnny Football” because of the level of excitement he brought to the college game. Manziel finished the 2012 season as the 1st red-shirt freshmen to ever win the Heisman Memorial trophy.
In his sophomore season, Johnny produced better numbers than his Heisman Trophy winning season. In the highly anticipated rematch against Alabama, Manziel topped his performance of the previous year’s contest. He passed for a career high 464 yards and five touchdowns in a losing effort. The below average defense of Texas A&M forced Manziel and the Aggie offense to out-score each opponent. Johnny improved in the 2013 season while the team was mediocre.
The second year for Manziel was more pressurized due to some off the field incidents. There was an autograph signing scandal to go along with other minor infractions. The public perception of Johnny Football was one of a spoiled rich kid who needed some humility. Despite all the issues at hand, Manziel went out and performed at the highest level on Saturdays.
Johnny Manziel is worthy of being a top ten pick in the upcoming 2014 NFL Draft. He has shown the ability to make NFL caliber throws along with showcasing strong improvising skills. These skills will be a bonus for the team that drafts him. The rise of quarterbacks such as Robert Griffin III, Colin Kaepernick, Andrew Luck and Russell Wilson exemplify the direction NFL franchises are going. Mobile quarterbacks are becoming the new trend.
Manziel is a dual threat who finished his short career with 7,820 passing yards and 63 touchdowns. His career rushing statistics resemble those of a running back. In his two years at Texas A&M he finished with 2,169 yards and 30 touchdowns. Most NFL Draft experts have criticized the height of Johnny Manziel. How soon do they forget about the 5’10 quarterback in Seattle who played a key role in the Seahawks Superbowl victory two weeks ago?
