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Johnny Manziel is one of the most intriguing figures in modern SEC football history.
He appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, to sweep the country off its feet and become the first freshman to ever win the Heisman Trophy.
Manziel’s story has been littered with excitement and disappointment.
We’ve put together a timeline on the career of the man they call Johnny Football:
June 2010
Manziel commits to play for Chip Kelly at Oregon
The story of Johnny Manziel may have played out differently had he decided to follow through and attend Oregon.
“When I coached at Oregon he was tailor-made for (the offense),” Chip Kelly later told CSN Philadelphia. “He broke my heart. I love the kid. I think he’s a hell of a football player.”
September 2010
Manziel changes his mind, flips commitment to Texas A&M
After a few months of flirting with the idea of moving to the Northwest, Manziel makes the decision to stay in Texas and play for the Aggies.
“My parents want to see me play, and I wasn’t going to put them in a bind,” Manziel said. “You probably have to say that was the biggest factor.”
June 2012
Manziel is arrested after a fight, presents fake ID to police
Manziel had yet to play a game at Texas A&M, and was already in trouble with the law.
He was charged with disorderly conduct, failure to identity and possessing a false identification card, and was jailed overnight.
“I have been made aware of the situation with Johnny Manziel,” incoming coach Kevin Sumlin said in a release. “We are gathering all the facts and will handle the situation once we have all of the information. We are disappointed with his actions and this is out of character for Johnny.”
November 2012
Manziel leads Aggies to win against No. 1 Alabama
In perhaps the defining performance of his freshman season, Johnny Manziel threw for 253 and two touchdowns while running for 92 yards in a 29-24 win against the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.
December 2012
Manziel becomes the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy
August 2013
Manziel is suspended for the first half of Texas A&M’s season opener
Manziel was scrutinized for much of the summer of 2013 for his involvement with an autograph dealer, with accusations that he had been paid for his signature surfacing.
The NCAA found no evidence to support that claim, though Manziel was suspended for the first half of the Aggies’ season-opener against Rice.
“If additional information comes to light, the NCAA will review and consider if further action is appropriate,” the NCAA said in the joint statement. “NCAA rules are clear that student-athletes may not accept money for items they sign, and based on information provided by Manziel, that did not happen in this case.”
December 2013
Manziel ends his college career in style against Duke
On the final day of 2013, Manziel and his teammates hosted a New Year’s Eve party in the Georgia Dome.
Down by 21 points at halftime, Manziel was not phased as he led the Aggies to a 35-point second-half on their way to a 52-48 win in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. He threw for 382 yards and four touchdowns, while also rushing for 73 yards and a fifth score.
It was Manziel’s final college game, and he left us with one the most jaw-dropping highlights of his career:
May 2014
Manziel is selected in the first round of the NFL draft
The Cleveland Browns traded up from the No. 26 spot to No. 22 to select Johnny Manziel.
It stopped what was beginning to appear like a free fall for the quarterback, who had been projected to go in the first half of the first round by many NFL draft pundits.
“It was tough, but I went in there saying I thought whatever team drafted me, whatever team fell in love with me would be the right situation for me,” Manziel told NFL.com. “The way that happened in college, the way everything’s worked out for me. I’m a firm believer in that. So a little bit of anxiousness, a little bit of nervousness, but at the same time, there’s a higher power that has a bigger plan for me.”
An excerpt from that NFL.com article: “After drafting Brady Quinn and Brandon Weeden with the 22nd overall pick in previous ill-fated drafts, the Browns are hoping the third time’s a charm.”
June 2014
Manziel is drafted by the San Diego Padres
While Manziel made a name for himself on the gridiron, he was also known to be able to play ball on the diamond as well. In fact, there was a time at which Manziel considered being “Johnny Baseball” before his career in football took off.
The Padres confirmed their belief in his talents by selecting him in the 28th round of the MLB Draft, in spite of the fact it had been years since Manziel had played the game.
“You know, I heard he’s a good player,” Padres manager Bud Black told MLB.com. “I heard he was a good high school baseball player. I think he’s a middle infielder. You can always use middle infielders. In most cases, they’re the most athletic players on the diamond. Usually they go to the outfield or stay in the middle.”
August 2014
Manziel flips the bird to the Washington Redskins during a preseason game
September 2014
Manziel makes his regular season debut
Manziel made his NFL debut against the New Orleans Saints:
December 2014
Manziel makes his first NFL start
The Browns lost 30-0 and Manziel threw two interceptions in what was a less than magical first career start.
Cincinnati defenders taunted Manziel with his signature “money” hand gesture.
“Just to show him this ain’t college,” said Cincinnati defensive tackle Domata Peko, according to ESPN. “This is the NFL. You have grown men that are going to be chasing after you, not college kids. … We’ve got some grown men who have kids that are out here trying to feed their families.”
January 2015
Manziel enters rehab
In what appeared to be an admission that his partying ways were catching up to his football career, Manziel entered rehab following his rookie season.
“Johnny knows there are areas in which he needs to improve in order to be a better family member, friend and teammate, and he thought the offseason was the right time to take this step,” adviser Brad Beckworth told ESPN.
June 2015
Manziel retires the money hand gesture
“Last year is last year, it was what it was and it was not very good,” Manziel said. “So for me, I’m trying to close that chapter and just build on what I’ve done so far this year and just move forward, and try to close that chapter in my life. Not one that I’m very proud of, not one that I want to look back on very much and dwell on, that’s for sure.”
October 2015
Police respond to a domestic dispute involving Manziel on the interstate
November 2015
Video of Manziel partying on Browns bye week surfaces
Signaling the beginning of the end of Johnny Manziel with the Browns, he appears in a video during the Browns bye week:
January 2016
Manziel is allegedly spotted partying in Vegas the night before the Browns’ final game
On the same night that he posted an Instagram picture trying to convey an image of being at home with his dog on a Saturday night, Manziel was reportedly spotted in Vegas after being placed in concussion protocol during the final week of the regular season.
It is later reported by NFL Network’s Mike Silver that Manziel had shown up to practice drunk just days before the final game of the regular season, causing the Browns to place him into concussion protocol.
February 2016
Manziel gets into alleged altercation with ex-girlfriend
Both Dallas and Fort Worth police are involved in an investigation into an altercation between Manziel and his ex-girlfriend, during which she claims that Manziel got physical and threatened to kill both her and himself.
“He grabbed me by my hair and threw me back into the car and got back in himself,” she reportedly told police. “He hit me with his open hand on my left ear for jumping out of the car. I realized immediately that I could not hear out of that ear, and I still cannot today, two days later.”
Nick Cole is a former print journalist with several years of experience covering the SEC. Born and raised in SEC country, he has taken in the game-day experience at all 14 stadiums.
