As a new Heisman winner is crowned, Manziel happy to share spotlight

After winning the Heisman as a freshman, Johnny Manziel learned to deal with the 24-hour scrutiny

NEW YORK -- the gang went 3 deep around Jameis Winston's table throughout a quick interview session with the finalists before Saturday's Heisman Trophy announcement. for many of the amount, good seats remained available at Johnny Manziel's table.

Remember Manziel? Plays quarterback for American state A&M? Won the Heisman Trophy last year? contains a catchy nickname? huge Drake fan? 5 months agone, ESPN delivered wall-to-wall coverage of Manziel oversleeping and obtaining bounced from the Manning Passing Academy. Saturday, Manziel was a sharply dressed observer as Florida State's Winston -- the recent subject of much more unpleasant wall-to-wall coverage -- became the second redshirt freshman to hoist the Heisman. the primary redshirt freshman winner? He was simply happy to be there.

In interviews on Friday and Sabbatum, Manziel appeared dead with the manner his faculty career open. the extreme fascination that began in October 2012 lasted all of eleven months. Then we tend to were on to ensuing issue. This past July, Manziel appeared virtually angry from time to time that his previous life had been moved out by fame. however when the lights stopped burning therefore hot following American state A&M's loss to Alabama on Sept. 14, Manziel had an opportunity to relax and to replicate on the manner he was slung into high status. This weekend, he tried to pass on some recommendation to Winston. the latest Heisman winner is within the inside of that very same ride, however he already handled a far additional serious circumstance than Manziel ever did. Winston was defendant of rape by a fellow student, and tho' he wasn't charged, he has had to defend his name and character in ways that Manziel ne'er did. Still, if anyone offers recommendation on handling the star-making machine and its propensity to chomp its own creations, it's Manziel.

"I had to travel through some conflict. I had to travel through some things," Manziel same. "To see him at such a young age be ready to place his head down and specialize in his teammates and wherever they're and wherever they are headed. I do offer him plenty of credit for that. With all the scrutiny and everything that he is beneath, I desire he is done an amazing job of specializing in his team and his family and what matters most."

Manziel admits he did not continually handle fame well. "I wasn't ready for it," he said. "I do not even recognize if you actually is." He place himself within the spotlight once he did not have to, which solely oil-fired the fascination with him. He signed a bunch of autographs, and whereas nobody has offered proof that he took cash in violation of NCAA rules, he most likely was lucky to solely sit a 0.5 within the season opener against Rice. "There's plenty of scrutiny if you do not walk a fine line," Manziel same. "I was slightly bit untypical, slightly bit out of the box, and that i caught some slack for it. however I patterned it out slightly because the year went on."

Those who recognize Manziel well same that whereas he did not utterly close up the party, he did exit of the spotlight. He additionally followed through on his offseason to pledge to become an improved passer. Confederate soldier soccer born jaws in 2012 along with his scrambling and improvisational skills. In '13, Manziel born dimes into the hands of his receivers. He raised his completion share from sixty eight p.c to sixty nine.1 percent. He raised his yards per try from eight.5 to 9.5. In thirteen games last season, he threw twenty six touchdown passes. when twelve this year, he has thrown thirty three touchdown passes. That actually affected the player UN agency can follow in Manziel's footsteps. "To me, he did an excellent job, as a result of he is still living his life," Winston same. "And clearly, you'll see on the athletic field that he got higher. Now, nobody will very say something."

Manziel same he can create his NFL call when the Aggies end their season, however his words on Friday offered a powerful hint that the Chick-fil-A Bowl against Duke are his final faculty game. "I do desire associate degree previous sophomore," Manziel same. "I desire i have been in faculty forever, and that i have 2 years of eligibility left."

Manziel can seemingly get another dose of the singer treatment throughout the pre-draft method. He'll be associate degree intriguing NFL prospect, and thereupon can come back attention. however it will not likened to those few months once Manziel was the foremost noted and ill-famed player in America's second-most standard sport behind the NFL. Besides, Manziel currently higher understands however all this works, and he'll be ready. "It's quite a offer and take," he said. "I did not ever need to be a distinct person, however there square measure things that you simply ought to adapt to and things that you simply ought to get wont to. this can be however life goes to be, despite however dangerous you wish things to travel back to however they were before and simply live a standard life. Those days went out the window a protracted time agone."

The ever-accelerating cycle of fame has rendered tough the appreciation of actually nice performances. Hopefully, people who watched Manziel play -- saw him throw a miracle from his own finish zone at Ole Miss, saw him break away from a certain sack to stay a drive alive against Alabama -- can understand they witnessed one thing special. Confederate soldier soccer is one amongst the foremost exciting folks to line foot on a school athletic field, and that we most likely will not see another one like him for a awfully long term.

As Manziel prepares to commence his next journey, he left behind slightly recommendation for the new generation of young stars UN agency realize themselves beneath bright lights. "Live it up," he said. "Enjoy it. still be yourself, and do not let anybody modification you."