Johnny Manziel has decided to stick up for Reggie Bush.
The Heisman Trophy-winning QB from Texas A&M revealed Saturday on Twitter he will not take part in the award ceremony in December unless Reggie Bush is reinstated.
Bush had his 2005 Heisman win revoked by the Heisman Trust after a four-year extra-benefits investigation determined that he and family members, while he was a student-athlete, accepted cash, travel expenses, and a home in the San Diego area where Bush’s parents lived rent-free for more than a year and for which they were provided $10,000 to furnish.
After careful thought and consideration I will be humbly removing myself from the Heisman trophy ceremony until @ReggieBush gets his trophy back. Doesn’t sit right with my morals and values that he can’t be on that stage with us every year. Reggie IS the Heisman trophy.
“The upside of all those quarterbacks getting thrown into the fire due to injuries is that there’s now a solid QB room full of confidence.”
ESPN college football reporters identified the biggest strengths of college football’s top 25 teams on Wednesday.
Coming in at No. 25, Texas A&M‘s biggest strength entering the 2024 season is its quarterbacks, according to Dave Wilson.
“The Aggies have been trying to find the right man for the job since the departure of Kellen Mond in 2020, and Jimbo Fisher‘s complex offense — combined with a struggling offensive line — did them no favors,” Wilson wrote. “But the upside of all those quarterbacks getting thrown into the fire due to injuries is that there’s now a solid QB room full of confidence.
“Starter Conner Weigman threw for 979 yards, 8 TDs and 2 INTs in four starts with a 68.9 completion percentage. Unheralded Fresno State transfer Jaylen Henderson got the job after an injury to backup Max Johnson, and Henderson completed 67.9 percent for 715 yards and 6 TDs to 2 INTs. When Henderson was hurt on the first play of the Texas Bowl against Oklahoma State, true freshman Marcel Reed completed 20-of-33 passes for 361 yards and added a 20-yard TD run.
“New offensive coordinator Collin Klein molded Will Howard and Avery Johnson before departing for College Station and Weigman could be the best Aggies quarterback since Johnny Manziel if he lives up to his potential.”
Johnny Football didn’t quite live up to the hype in the NFL, but will Weigman do so at the college level, led by new head coach Mike Elko? We’ll all find out together beginning on Aug. 31.
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Ranking the Top 80 quarterback since the year 2000, Texas A&M legend Johnny Manziel’s 2-year run was dutifully recognized.
Former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel was pure electricity on the field during his two-year career in College Station, and outside of the extracurriculars that led to his short NFL career, Aggie fans remember the young man who elevated the program nationally.
This week, ESPN’s Bill Connelly released its “Top 80 quarterbacks of the 2000s” rankings (subscription required), including nearly every impact signal caller that college football fans remember spanning 24 years cut. At the same time, Manziel surprisingly didn’t make the Top 10, landing at No. 13 right below former Texas Longhorns QB Colt McCoy (of course).
Like all of us, Connelly remembers the whirlwind of Manziel’s freshman season, which included defeating No. 1 Alabama on the road while earning the Heisman Trophy and destroying the Oklahoma Sooners in the Cotton Bowl to end the year.
“Texas A&M won 20 games in the Johnny Football era, beat Alabama (and nearly did so twice), and immediately put to rest any silly “Yeah, but can that Big 12 offense work in the SEC?” qualms as the Aggies joined the league. But that alone doesn’t describe just how much one player could dominate the sport’s consciousness over multiple seasons. You couldn’t take your eyes off of him because you really, really needed to see what he might do next.”
During his two historic seasons, Manziel recorded 7,820 passing yards (69% completion percentage), 63 passing touchdowns, and just 22 interceptions, coupled with 2,169 rushing yards and 30 scores on the ground.
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Johnny Manziel claims he never felt at home in the Browns’ QB room with Brian Hoyer there
Former Cleveland Browns quarterback and Texas A&M star Johnny Manziel didn’t have a great working relationship with a former New England Patriots player, and it’s not someone you’d expect.
Manziel was selected by the Browns in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft. He lasted two seasons with the organization and was a teammate of Brian Hoyer’s during that time.
Hoyer started for the Browns in the 2014 season and spent two years with the organization overall. He threw for 3,941 yards, 17 touchdowns and 16 interceptions during that time.
“My quarterback room was not a home for me because of Brian Hoyer,” Manziel told Shannon Sharpe. “Brian Hoyer had been waiting on an opportunity to go really provide for his family, get an opportunity and he saw how much of an upper hand he had on me, and he didn’t hold back when it came to that. There were instances in the quarterback room early on where I would ask the same question a couple of times and he’d be at the head of the table and go, ‘Pfft, again? We’re doing this again? Keep him out of it. Cut that off.’ And I don’t have a bad word to say about Brian Hoyer. That is just fact what happened in that room.”
It’s interesting to hear about the dynamic of the room itself from Manziel’s point of view. Hoyer is currently a backup quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders. If anything, it does provide extra insight into what Manziel’s early experience in the NFL was like.
It was a short run that ultimately fizzled out after two seasons.
Aggies legend Johnny Manziel stepped into “Club Shay Shay” to have an in-depth and honest conversation with Shannon Sharpe on his podcast.
Texas A&M legend Johnny Manziel stepped into “Club Shay Shay” this week to have an in-depth and honest conversation with Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe on his podcast.
The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner discussed several topics including his time in Aggieland, experience in the NFL and personal struggles with mental health.
Manziel mentioned the hypocrisy of his former Aggies head coach, Kevin Sumlin.
“I love that guy and we were best buddies,” Manziel recalled. “But how do you have a guy telling you how to live, put away the partying and all that, when he’s doing the same thing behind doors?
“What made him great is no longer with him, I don’t see the spark.”
According to Manziel, he was a major factor in the recruitment of quarterback Kyler Murray to College Station. However, Sumlin is ultimately the reason why the future Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 overall pick transferred to Oklahoma.
“I played a huge hand in bringing Kyler Murray to Texas A&M,” Manziel proclaimed. “That mistake is keeping us from being where we want to be now. They should’ve given him the keys. I worked my a** off to get him to A&M, he wanted to be like me. I have extremely strong and mixed emotions about that.”
Long before the days of NIL endorsements, Manziel was faced with a decision on whether he should enter the 2014 NFL Draft or stay at Texas A&M. His father, Paul, asked Sumlin for $2-3 million to get Johnny Football to stay for one more season, which the younger Manziel claims he didn’t find out until 2019.
“@RealSkipBayless, I love you bro. I honestly feel like I let him down. … This ‘Johnny Manziel will be bigger than LeBron.’ It was never ever going to be a reality.” – @JManziel2
Full episode is streaming now wherever you listen to your podcasts and on YouTube. pic.twitter.com/SQJRLGiDc1
Simultaneously, Kliff Kingsbury was attempting to become the highest-paid offensive coordinator in college football to “run it back with Johnny.” However, that ultimately didn’t happen.
“Kevin walked away from both of us,” Manziel said.
Manziel’s mental health took a turn for the worse after he was drafted in the first round by the Cleveland Browns. Even while living in the same city as his idol LeBron James, Money Manziel’s struggles overcame him.
“I remember, this is how bad off I was whenever I was in Cleveland,” Manziel recalled. “LeBron would text me every week to come over to the house and watch a game or play poker with the boys and just tried to be there. I was so depressed for the first time in my life that even my biggest role model and inspiration in my life couldn’t get me out of bed to come hang out with him.
“When I went to the Cavs games, I went, I was in, I was out, I didn’t really grasp and latch on to him in a way that I should’ve. He tries to take me under his wing and I was just kinda nudging it away because of where my mental is and being fully depressed in where I was in my life.
“Is that an excuse? Absolutely not, because at the end of the day, the respect that I should have for them giving me everything should trump all else.”
The interview in its entirety can be viewed on YouTube.
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Ahead of the new NCAA Football video game release this summer, here are five Texas A&M players that deserve to grace the cover.
Thursday morning’s announcement that EA Sports will release the new NCAA Football video game this coming summer led to every college football fan in the country going absolutely bizark on social media.
Why the widespread excitement? EA Sports was forced to stop production on the game after their last released installment in 2013 due to issues stemming from early NIL-related issues, specifically player likeness for players who were reprinted in the name, despite being nameless on each roster.
Since then, Texas A&M has won 86 games game in the last 10 seasons, and while legendary quarterback Johnny Manziel’s Heisman-winning campaign came after the 2012 season, he was still highly productive during his final 2013 campaign, while star wide receiver Mike Evans had his best season as an Aggie yet.
While Manziel and Evans stand out as the Aggie studs of the last decade, several players on offense and defense have placed their names in the Texas A&M record books, and if the game had been released every year since then, several deserved a shot to be on the cover.
With that, here are five Aggies who should be in the running for the newest NCAA Football cover.
With the news of head coach Nick Saban retiring from Alabama, many in Aggieland breathed a sigh of relief as the big bad elephant finally left the room.
With the news of head coach Nick Saban retiring from Alabama, many in Aggieland breathed a sigh of relief as the big bad elephant finally left the room.
Texas A&M compiled a 2-10 overall record against Saban and the Crimson Tide. The victories may have been few and far between but they sure were memorable. Both wins against Alabama came when they were ranked No. 1 in the nation.
(John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)
Back on Nov. 10, 2012, the Aggies were led to victory by a young upstart quarterback. Johnny Manziel shocked everyone in Tuscaloosa, and the world for that matter, with the 29-24 upset win. Manziel’s life changed forever as he became “Johnny Football” and went on to become the first freshman to ever win the Heisman Trophy.
While the Jimbo Fisher era in Bryan-College Station may not have gone as planned, the most memorable victory during his tenure has to be against Alabama. On Oct. 9, 2021, Fisher became the first former Saban assistant to defeat him, doing so with a 41-38 win. From 28 yards out, Seth Small nailed the game-winning kick to pull off the upset.
(Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports)
Saban’s retirement opens the door of opportunity for head coach Mike Elko and Texas A&M to establish itself at the top of the pack in the revamped SEC. With the Texas Longhorns joining the conference later this year, it’s officially time for the Aggies to show who the best team in the Lone Star State — and perhaps the entire SEC — really is.
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The Lone Star Showdown officially returns to the Texas gridiron this year and the smack talk has already begun for the Nov. 30 matchup at Kyle Field.
The Lone Star Showdown officially returns to the Texas gridiron this year and the smack talk has already begun for the Nov. 30 matchup at Kyle Field.
Washington defeated Texas 37-31 in the Sugar Bowl on Monday night in New Orleans. With a win in the College Football Playoff semifinals, the unbeaten Huskies advanced to play undefeated Michigan in the championship game this upcoming Monday at NRG Stadium in Houston.
The Longhorns, meanwhile, nearly pulled off the unthinkable by mounting a late comeback. However, Texas turned the ball over on downs in the red zone to end the game, crushing the hopes of Longhorns fans around the country.
Many people in Aggieland were overjoyed by the outcome, including Texas A&M legend Johnny Manziel.
TexAgs executive editor Billy Luicci took a moment to congratulate Texas fans on an impressive season, which included the first Big 12 Championship since 2009. Manziel, however, was having none of it.
I hate it when you play the publicly correct game. Say it with your chest Liucci boy https://t.co/Wejst7yvLz
With the CFP expanding to 12 teams for next season, a berth, if not two, will be on the line when the Aggies and Longhorns clash two days after Thanksgiving. It’s safe to presume that Johnny Football will be locked in with the rest of us for such an exciting showdown.
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Johnny Manziel did not have an illustrious career with the Browns, and he pokes fun at himself as Joe Flacco approaches his career numbers.
The Cleveland Browns have found a revelation in 38-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco. And after four straight 300-yard games, he is on pace to pass former first rounder Johnny Manziel in the Cleveland record book.
Flacco has already passed Cody Kessler in the record books with 1,668 yards passing, and now sits just seven yards behind Manziel. The former Heisman Trophy winner has owned up to his NFL career and his mistakes, and he is ready to poke fun at himself as well. As The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd tweeted about Flacco’s status in Cleveland’s passing record books, Manziel took to Twitter to troll himself. He wrote:
“Some records are meant to be broken.”
Manziel, of course, was cut from the Browns just two years after he was drafted due to numerous off-the-field instances. It all culminated in a weekday trip to Las Vegas in a wig while he was on the injured list. All-in-all, he threw for less than 1,700 yards in eight career starts for the Browns.
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel confirms Johnny Manziel watched zero game film while in the NFL.
In an interview with “The Pivot” podcast last month, Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel confirmed that Johnny Manziel watched zero minutes and zero seconds of game film during his time with the Cleveland Browns. Manziel admitted to watching zero film in the Netflix documentary “Untold.” However, it’s still hard to take Manziel’s word as truth. It’s refreshing to hear confirmation from the former Browns wide receiver coach.
Mike McDaniel spent one season with the Cleveland Browns in 2014, which was Kyle Shanahan’s one year as the team’s offensive coordinator. McDaniel’s time in Cleveland is best remembered by a trick play where Shanahan and McDaniel pretended to yell at Manziel to catch the defense off guard. In typical Browns fashion, the play worked, but a presnap penalty would wipe away the gain.
Mike McDaniel confirmed that Johnny Manziel watched zero game film in Cleveland. pic.twitter.com/z7JM55MWXi
— Busters Banking Associate (@BrownsAlchemy) October 8, 2023
McDaniel said the animosity between the coaching staff and front office over the selection of Manziel started to boil over during the season. The response from the coaching staff to Manziel’s lack of preparation and disrespectful nature was to point fingers at the front office. GM Ray Farmer and the team brass infamously ignored multiple people, including a consulting firm they hired to assess the 2014 quarterback class when selecting Manziel.
During a rocky start to the season, in which blame is being dished out like it’s on the menu at the Marble Room, it’s essential to look at how far the organization has come. While the team has experienced pitfalls and struggles this season, it’s important to remember just how horrific things can get in Berea without adult supervision.
Never Forget when Kyle Shanahan and Mike McDaniel pulled off this legendary trick play with Johnny Manziel 😂 pic.twitter.com/FYlV2Bdhqs
