There was a time when Texas A&M was preparing for a football season without quarterback Johnny Manziel. The 2012 season would have looked extremely different without the Heisman Trophy winner running the offense. The Dallas Morning News is reporting that Manziel almost transferred from Texas A&M following a suspension prior to the 2012 season.
It is reported that the quarterback was arrested in June of 2012 in College Station for fighting at a bar and failing to identify himself while being in possession of a fake IDs. After the arrest, Manziel was suspended for the entire season.
Manziel the appealed to have the suspension overturned by the dean of student life, a battle he won. However, if that was not the case, Manziel would have transferred to another college. After sitting during the 2011 season with a redshirt, he was looking to go anywhere that he could have been a starter.
If Manziel had not played in the SEC during the 2012 season, it is unlikely he would have won the Heisman Trophy. It is also unlikely that there would be an abundance of hype surrounding him.
Manziel's willingness to transfer from Texas A&M is just another fold to story that has unfolded with the quarterback after he tweeted, "I can't wait to leave College Station" and then deleted the post. Manziel will be edible to enter the NFL after the 2013 season, leaving many to believe he will forgo his three years left in the NCAA in favor of the professional league.
The quarterback is doing a lot of damage control after the tweet, apologizing to Aggies coaches after the realizing he should not have been so open on social media. Head coach Kevin Sumlin realizes that fame can be a tough thing to deal with at a young age after seeing this sort of attention develop around other players.
"I've seen it, just like everybody else. I think being around other guys in the past has helped me, but there's never been anything like this before. Being around Adrian Peterson or Jason White or Sam Bradford or Case Keenum or Drew Brees, people like that, that's part of the deal. When you are a nationally recognized person, whether you're young or a freshman or an older guy there are some things that come with that," Sumlin said.
Manziel is learning the hard way that fame can be a tricky thing. The more success he has, the more dirty laundry will continue to rise up. A&M fans just hope the quarterback can put all of the offseason drama behind him and focus on having another record breaking season.
