Maybe it's the fact that Drake wears his jersey all the time. Or it might be the gloating celebrations. Heck, it could even be his unprecedented, yet impeccable, trolling of a jealous Twitter hater. Whatever it is, all we know is that we are undeniably captivated by Johnny Manziel. As he anticipates his name being called at the 2014 NFL Draft in May, we look back at how the legend that is "Johnny Football" came to be.
Coming on to a formidable Texas A&M squad in 2011, Manziel, a 3-star recruit, sat out his freshman season after being redshirted. The following year, he fought during the preseason to fill the gap left at the quarterback position after Ryan Tannehill was drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft. At the beginning of the season, he was given the opportunity to start for the Aggies; although he began his career in relative obscurity, he would soon become a household name, for other reasons besides his outstanding play.
Manziel quickly attracted the nation's attention, breaking a 43-year-old record for total offense, and then proceeding to break his own record later in the 2012 season. His agility, vision, and resiliency made him almost impossible to stop for opponents who knew little about this undersized quarterback, and Texas A&M eventually cruised to an upset over then-#1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. One Heisman later, "Johnny Football" returned for his sophomore season and continued to command attention; his swagger was constantly on display, and his stats continued to impress football aficionados everywhere, including NFL scouts, who began to reach the consensus that his desire to win could overshadow the fact that he is less than 6 feet tall.
Manziel has also made sure everyone is watching him off of the field. Some of the more notable occurrences of his short college career include partying with internet sensation Jimmy Tatro, leaving the Manning Passing Academy early after reportedly oversleeping, tweeting that he "can't wait to leave College Station" after receiving a parking ticket, and getting kicked out of a University of Texas fraternity party. His father even summarized his 2012 season by saying that he "ate Skittles, drank beer, and won the Heisman".
Each and every individual will be captivated by Manziel for a different reason, whether it be his skills on the football field or his persona off of it. However, all that can be said is that no matter what team he ends up on in the NFL, "Johnny Football" will surely continue to transfix fans.
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| Manziel's sheer enjoyment of the game is one small part of his complex persona. |
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