Johnny Manziel reminds NFL legend, Brett Favre, of one of the best players to ever play the game… Brett Favre.
Talking to USA TODAY Sports , Favre admitted that he hasn’t seen the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback in action too often. However, he stated that after he saw Manziel play in Texas A&M’s match against Ole Miss, Favre finally understood the comparisons that have been made between him and the 21-year-old.
“I haven’t watched him much,” the three-time NFL MVP noted, “but one game I watched, for like three quarters, was the Ole Miss game.”
During this encounter, Manziel not only passed for 346 yards, but he also ran for 124 yards and two touchdowns. His heroic performance inspired his side to a famous 41-48 comeback victory.
“I almost thought I was watching film of a young Brett Favre,” the always modest athlete remarked. “I didn’t think I did a lot of things well (when he played in college at Southern Miss), but he did. And I liked the attitude of ‘whatever it takes.’ From that standpoint, I liked him.”
Some football experts have predicted that Manziel, who decided to turn professional after his sophomore season with Texas A&M, will be taken as the No. 1 pick during May’s NFL Draft, a selection that belongs to the Houston Texans.
Favre even believes that Manziel is better than he was when he was at that stage, stating, “I didn’t throw nearly as well as him. He may have that capability; unbelievable throws and can make plays with his feet. I was impressed.”
When asked to compare Manziel to a current NFL quarterback, CBS analyst Tony Gonzalez skeptically suggested, “Johnny’s more along the lines of RG3, which could hurt him. He’ll make a good transition to the NFL but, for me, he needs to work on that pocket passing. There’s such a thing as young running quarterbacks, but not old running quarterbacks.”
Meanwhile, Mike Maycock, NFL Network’s chief draft analyst, has stated, “He’s different than any quarterback I’ve [studied] before. But I believe in the kid.” Maycock did eventually surmise that he’s “like a combination of Fran Tarkenton and Doug Flutie.”
Joe Flacco , the Baltimore Ravens quarterback, also showered praise upon Manziel back in September, despite the fact that, at the time, people had started to criticise him for his showboating and attitude.
He told the Carroll County Times, “I don’t know if I’ll be too popular for this. But I don’t know how I really felt about Johnny Manziel, but I feel like now everyone hates him. He’s quickly becoming my favorite player in college football.”