Heisman Trophy 2012: Freshman ‘Johnny Football’ Manziel Makes History
In 2012 Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Football can now be re-nicknamed Johnny Heisman. Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M’s quarterback, became the first freshman in the 78-year history of the Heisman Trophy to win the prestigious college football award. He also became the award’s second-youngest winner at 20 years old.
As previously reported by The Inquisitr, in 2012 the Heisman Trophy was projected to be down to a three man race. The eventual trophy winner was highly likely to be notably historic, since, besides Manziel being a college freshman, another runner up, Manti Malietau Lous Te’o of Notre Dame, was a defense-only linebacker. The lead up to winning the prize was amazing in itself, with Johnny Football completing 273 of 400 passes for 3,419 yards and leading the Texas A&M Aggies to a 10-2 record.
According to CBS Sports, Johnny Manziel cashed in on the Heisman momentum created four weeks ago when A&M upset then-No. 1 Alabama 29-24. After posting 345 yards in total offense at Bryant-Denny Stadium, we began to know the intimate details of Johnny Football.
While still nineteen years old–Thursday was Johnny Manziel’s birthday–the Texas quarterback broke the single-season SEC total offense record made by previous Heisman winner Cam Newton in 2010. Twice Manziel broke the single-game total offense record. Manziel became the first SEC player, first freshman ever and fifth FBS player to throw for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000.
Johnny Football is Manziel’s trademark nickname–literally, at least if his family has their way. In the future Manziel family plans to actually try and trademark the term. But first the term has to be used in a commercial fashion, but with Manziel winning the Heisman Trophy that scenario seems to have a high likelihood.
For the near future Johnny Manziel is scrapping his plans to move to Oregon and instead will be staying in his home state.
“I’ll sit here until I’m blue in the face and say Texas high school football is the best in the entire country. They put out a ton of recruits,” Manziel said. “You see the movie ‘Friday Night Lights’. Kerrville was a lot like that. The town was closed down for a high-school football game.”
As of this moment the only worry is that winning the Heisman Trophy might go to his head.
Manziel needs the ability “to understand we’ve got 10 other guys on the field that can help him win the game,” A&M coach Kevin Sumlin said. “He doesn’t have to make every play himself.”
What do you think of the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner being a college freshman like Johnny Football Manziel?
