Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel is entering the NFL draft after two spectacular seasons.
Some of the highs and lows:
Top Play: In a victory over top-ranked Alabama in 2012, Manziel took a snap, tried to run but ran into the back of one of his linemen. He bounced off, and the ball popped into the air. He caught it, turned around and rolled out to throw a touchdown pass to an uncovered receiver in the endzone.
He had another nifty play in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl when he again crashed into a teammate while hurdling a defender, before emerging from the scrum and throwing a touchdown pass.
Stat Line: Manziel broke 2010 Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton’s Southeastern Conference record for total offense with 5,116 total yards in 2012.
Manziel threw for 4,114 yards this season to break the school record for yards passing set in 2011 by current Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill. In 2013, Manziel threw more touchdown passes, had more yards passing, a better completion percentage and averaged more yards an attempt than he did during his Heisman year, when he had to beat out two other quarterbacks to win the starting position in August.
Off The Field: He drew headlines, that’s undisputed. He buddied up to Drake and LeBron James, and he was suspended for the first half of the Aggies’ season opener against Rice for what the school said was an “inadvertent” violation of NCAA rules involving signing autographs.
People also were unhappy when he tweeted last summer that he “couldn’t wait” to get out of College Station.
Manziel received criticism after being photographed after last year’s Cotton Bowl in a nightclub holding a bottle of champagne and more criticism when he posted a picture of himself with a wad of cash from gambling.
NFL Prospects: ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper lists Manziel as the 12th-best prospect in this year’s draft, and some analysts rank him the third-best quarterback available.
This and That: The 21-year-old Manziel was born in Tyler, Texas, but grew up in the much smaller Texas hill country town of Kerrville. He was a Parade All-American in high school after throwing for 3,609 yards with 45 touchdowns and running for 1,674 yards with 30 scores. He verbally committed to Oregon before signing with the Aggies.
Associated Press
