Manziel Warns Texans Not To Pass On Him In The Draft
By Adam Carlson
Former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel is one of those guys that people either love or hate. His off the field persona shows him as a young kid who loves the spotlight and thrives on attention. So, it is no surprise that some of his recent comments in an interview with the Houston Chronicle are making him sound a bit arrogant and entitled.
Sep 14, 2013; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) warms up before the game against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports
Here is what Manziel said when he was asked about the upcoming 2014 NFL Draft and the possibility of the Houston Texans not picking #1 overall:
"“It would be the worst decision they’ve ever made,” Manziel said. “I’d be in the same division playing against them twice a year. Sorry, but you just turned that chip on my shoulder from a Frito into a Dorito.”"
In essence, he is stating that if the Texans pass on him with the #1 pick, that it is almost a certainty that he wouldn’t get past the #3 selection of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Then, he continued to speak about his draft position and future expected success.
"“If something happens, and it’s the Cleveland Browns, I’m going to pour my heart out for the Dawg Pound and try to win a Super Bowl for Cleveland,” he said. “I don’t care if they’ve had 20 starting quarterbacks since 1999. I’m going to be the 21st and the guy that brought them the Super Bowl. People can call me crazy, and it’s not cockiness, I’m going to put myself in it to win the Super Bowl every single year. A 5’10” guy just won the Super Bowl in his second year in the NFL. That’s unreal. I want to be the first rookie to win the Super Bowl.”"
That’s a lot of mentions of the Super Bowl for a player that hasn’t even played an NFL snap yet and has yet to even make an NFL team. Despite that, Manziel still has the confidence to say that he wants Houston to be 100% sure that they want him to be their quarterback and that they have no doubts at all in him.
"Oct 26, 2013; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) passes against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Campbell-USA TODAY Sports“I want them to say absolutely, without a doubt, with 100 percent certainty, that I’m who they want,” Manziel continued. “I want everybody from the janitor at Reliant Stadium to the front office executive assistant all the way up to Bob McNair to say, ‘This kid is 100 percent, can’t miss. This is who we want being the face of our program. We want the Texas kid staying in Texas and leading the Texans.’ I’m a Texas kid. The state means a lot to me.”"
Manziel wants to stay in Texas to play football. And that’s admirable, but to say it in this manner is very telling as to his personality. It sounds as though Manziel slipping to the #8 pick for the Minnesota Vikings hasn’t even crossed his mind.
So what do you think? Has Manziel earned the right to speak with this kind of confidence or is he just a cocky, arrogant kid who feels entitled? And which team do you think will select him at the upcoming draft? Let us know in the comments!