Jonathan Paul Manziel (man-ZEL; born December 6, 1992) is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns with the 22nd overall pick of the 2014 NFL Draft. He was nationally recruited out of high school as a dual-threat quarterback.[1] In 2012, Manziel debuted for the Texas A&M Aggies as a redshirt freshman in Kevin Sumlin's Air Raid offense[2] during A&M's first season in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). He broke numerous NCAA Division I FBS and SEC records, which include becoming the first freshman and fifth player in NCAA history to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a season.[3] At the end of the regular season, he became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy,[4] Manning Award,[5] and the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award.[6] Manziel capitalized on his redshirt freshman season by leading Texas A&M to a 41–13 victory over Oklahoma in the 2013 Cotton Bowl Classic.[7]
TexAgs users tagged Manziel with the nickname "Johnny Football" during Manziel's sophomore high school football season in Texas. The nickname followed him to Texas A&M University[8][9] and endures to now. He has applied to register the nickname as a trademark.[10]
Despite not having played baseball since his junior year of high school, Manziel was drafted 837th overall in the 28th round of the 2014 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. Manziel
Manziel was born in Tyler, Texas, on December 6, 1992, to Michelle (née Liberato) and Paul Manziel.[12] He has a younger sister named Meri. Manziel's great-great-grandfather Joseph emigrated to the United States in 1883 from the Mount Lebanon region of Syria in what is now Lebanon.[13] He is of Italian descent on his maternal side.[14] His family became wealthy through the Texas petroleum industry.[15]
Manziel grew up playing a variety of sports, including basketball, baseball, golf, and football. At Tivy High School in Kerrville, Texas, he focused on baseball and football....