Is Johnny Manziel Worth the Headache?

It almost feels like you can't go a week without Johnny Manziel being in the news, who has went from college football golden boy to red headed step child in less than a year. It started with his twitter rant about an alleged parking incident, then skipping practices and meetings at the Manning Passing Academy, then he was kicked out of a frat party at the University of Texas. All those headlines were, let's be completely honest, rather comical. But none of those previous indiscretions had any real effect on Manziel and Texas A&M, outside of their good name being ran through the mud by many writers and media outlets. However, the most recent Manziel related story is slightly more serious.

It has been reported that Manziel allegedly accepted money from an autograph broker to sign autographs this past January. Which is a direct violation of NCAA rules, and despite how foolish many people think this NCAA 'violation' is, it is in fact an NCAA violation. And you have to think that Manziel must have known that accepting any money (and it has been reported he may have accepted a 5 figure payout for his signature) was against the rules and he could very well be punished for it. Which only further questions his maturity and to a lesser extent his character.

Some feel that Manziel's rise and fall are both solely on the media and the overblown coverage, both good and bad, of his every move. Which yes, is partially to blame, but that doesn't mean Johnny Football isn't at fault as well. It's not like he was some unknown walk on that worked his way into the lineup. Manziel was one of the highest rated prospects in the 2011 recruiting class, the hype was major before he even had graduated from high school. I mean, they don't go handing out nicknames like Johnny Football to anyone.

Some also say that his partying ways are typical of many college students. Which I do know for a fact as being true. But many of those students are not on scholarship to play football at a university. The average college student is not expected to represent a university or a football program. Which, whether we like it or not, is expected of each and every athlete that accepts a scholarship. If he wanted to just go to school and party and not be in the news for every little thing he should not have accepted the scholarship and just paid his own way through school.

Part of me is starting to think that Manziel actually enjoys being in the spotlight like this. He knows every thing he does will end up on ESPN and his ego feeds off it. Which really brings up the question, is Manziel worth the trouble anymore? Now, don't get me wrong, on the field Johnny Football is one of the most entertaining players in the country. His rise to national prominence sure was a sight to behold last season. However with the seemingly never ending off the field incidents one really has to wonder if his on the field excellence is worth sitting through the never ending off the field nonsense? Luckily, I am not one who needs to make the decision, but if these issues continue, and Manziel doesn't declare early for the NFL Draft (which according to NCAA and NFL rules, he would be eligible for the 2014 NFL Draft), head coach Kevin Sumlin has to start giving some consideration to suspending his starting quarterback, if not flat out kick him off the team. As extreme as that may sound, it may very well be the only way to show Manziel that his immaturity won't get him very far in the world outside of college football.

- Josh Gamez
@itsjoshgamez

Can Johnny Manziel Win the Heisman Trophy for a Second Time?

In the seventy-seven year history of the Heisman Trophy, it’s happened one time. Archie Griffin, a former running back from Ohio State is the only repeat winner of the most coveted individual award in collegiate football (‘74-‘75). In recent years, there’s been more talk of possible Heisman repeat winners with Tim Tebow, Sam Bradford and Mark Ingram hoisting the trophy as sophomores. Yet, none of them were able to repeat Griffin’s feat. Can Johnny Manziel, Heisman’s first freshman winner, raise the trophy for a second time?

At first glance, one might say “Yes! Without a doubt!” Manziel broke the SEC record in 2012 for total offense with 5,116 yards…as a redshirt freshman. As the season progressed, Johnny Football’s prowess on the field grew with each game. He seemed to find pressure situations as a prime opportunity to demonstrate his ability to evade would-be tacklers and scamper for the end zone. In what has been considered his “Heisman Moment” he seemingly made something out of nothing as he fumbled the ball, recovered it himself and subsequently threw a touchdown.

Yet, as with the previous sophomore Heisman winners, the opportunity for repeat becomes an even more daunting goal than escaping a four-man rush. Preseason picks for the 2012 didn’t have Johnny Manziel’s name anywhere in the Top 25. Just as in the year before when Robert Griffin, III, emerged as unforeseen winner, Cam Newton in 2010 and Mark Ingram in 2009.

Does the pressure of being a pre-season Heisman choice affect the player’s ability on the field? Possibly. Opposing defenses study the schemes, breakdown film and hope to be more prepared the second time they face them (Nick Saban anyone?) You can bet first time coaches in the SEC like Arkansas’ Bret Bielema and Gus Malzahn’s Auburn squad will be aiming to prove their worth by doing what very few others could: contain Manziel. What also must be taken into consideration is the loss of A&M’s offensive tackle Luke Joeckel to the NFL and former offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s move to the head coaching position at Texas Tech.

Outside pressures also can factor into their ability to focus all their attention on the football field. The target on their backs grows infinitely larger as their name is mentioned more in the media. For Johnny Manziel, this seems to be the case more than ever with past Heisman winners. In the months since his winning the trophy, Manziel has allowed his Twitter feed to become fodder for those questioning his maturity and ability to handle his newfound fame. He doesn’t attend classes with the other students at Texas A&M, choosing rather to take them online. Manziel’s been on the sidelines of NBA games, surrounded by mounds of money at gambling establishments and most recently publically ridiculed College Station over an apparent parking violation.

Of the last five winners of the Heisman Trophy, outside of Manziel, Tim Tebow probably was the most publically revered and scrutinized. Yet, his intense focus on the sport did not wane. But even with his innate ability to motivate his teammates, with his famous “I promise” speech after the Ole Miss loss in 2008, Tebow could never get any closer in winning another Heisman than his third place finish behind Colt McCoy and winner Sam Bradford in 2008.

In order for Manziel to repeat as a Heisman winner his athletic skills are going to have to be as least as proficient as they were in 2012, if not more so. But also his ability to handle the pressure from not only within the confines of the football stadium, but also those outside in the “real world” will have to be more proficient as well. September 14, 2013 at College Station will be the first real test for the former when the Aggies face two-time defending BCS Champions, the University of Alabama. The recent few weeks for Manziel don’t speak well for the latter.

Can Johnny Manziel repeat as a Heisman Winner? Who would’ve thought he would’ve won it as a freshman? Anything is possible, but in reality, seeing Manziel raise the trophy again in 2013 is not very probable.

 

- Amy Norris

@amyjane72

amy.projectcfb@gmail.com