Kevin Sumlin wishes everyone would stop talking about Johnny Manziel. The Texas A&M coach has been trying to dodge the spotlight placed on his team ever since the quarterback became a celebrity for his breakout season in 2012. Saturday's performance did not help the cause as multiple A&M football players received penalties, including Manziel who was flagged for taunting. After being accused of ignoring his coach, Sumlin is sticking up for his player's actions.
After Manziel received a penalty for trash talking a Rice player after a play, the quarterback headed back to the sideline to receive an ear full from his head coach. As Sumlin was yelling, Manziel kept walking, leaving many college football analysts to slam the quarterback as disrespectful.
"For people to say 'You know what, he's not listening to his coach and there's no discipline on this team,' they're not around this football team," Sumlin said, via ESPN.com. "They're not around this program. A lot of people who have made statements about that weren't anywhere near the sideline. I haven't heard one guy or any person who was near that sideline, who heard (what) was said, speak up about what happened. So, you can get different perspectives sitting in a studio or behind a television than you would have gotten live. That's where we are with that. "
Sumlin recalls saying a few words to Manziel on the sideline after the penalty. He notes a response from Manziel was not needed in the situation and the quarterback was certainly not ignoring him. Sumlin said the worst thing Manziel could have done in that situation was respond so he was thankful his star quarterback stayed silent.
Manziel has not been made available to the media since coming under investigation by the NCAA for allegedly accepting benefits for autograph signings. He served a one-half suspension during Saturday's win over Rice. He was not available to speak after the game of after practice on Tuesday. Sumlin says that the quarterback will be available to talk at some point, but not any time soon. The last time the media got to speak with the Heisman winner was during SEC Media Days.
"It's not just my decision in what goes on with that," Sumlin said. "We feel like right now is not the time. Will there be a time? Sure there will be. I think you look back at the events of Saturday in a volatile situation and the way that game ended, I don't think that's a time for he or Deshazor [Everett]. That's been past history."
Sumlin is doing his best to discipline his quarterback for poor on-the-field behavior. The head coach notes that the quarterback plays with a lot of emotion and sometimes it gets the best of him. As for the money gesture Manziel made after touchdowns, Sumlin promises that he has always done that.
