Johnny Manziel Sit-Down to Discuss Behavior Long Overdue

He may be Johnny Football to the adoring public in College Station and beyond, but he's still a 20-year old young man that has a lot of growing up to do.  His behavior has been widely criticized thanks to social media's instant stupidity alerts.  The A & M brass has apparently had enough, and a little tough love may be just what the doctor ordered.
Whether or not his spring arrest was his fault or not, he was out late, drinking to the point of intoxication under-age, and had three IDs in his wallet, two of which obviously were not his.  Everybody says the same thing:  "If there would've been a camera following me around as a college student you'd be shocked at what you saw".  Good point, but you also weren't a student athlete at one of college football's most storied programs.

After the dust settled on the spring arrest, young Johnny began his legacy by beating out Central Texas' own Jamaal Showers for the starting quarterback spot for the Aggies' first season in the SEC.  Nobody dared to dream at what was to follow.  The Aggies came within 8 points of a shot at the national championship, with close losses to Florida and LSU the only thing holding them back from the SEC championship game.

As for little Johnny, Johnny Football emerged and forever changed his life and the landscape of college football.  No freshman had ever won the Heisman Trophy.  No Aggie had won since John David Crow 55 years prior.  Along the way to superstardom some tough lessons were learned.  Or were they?

The month of December, 2012 was a wild ride for the newly-minted Heisman Trophy winner.  Following the award ceremony you could spot Johnny Football on the talk show circuit, in suites and Cowboys and Texans game, courtside at Mavs games and most noticeably on Twitter.

Manziel's own Twitter account is to blame, with pictures of Manziel flashing a stack of cash at a casino in Oklahoma.  The minimum age in Oklahoma casinos is 20, so no problem there.  The problem is the money.  No need to raise suspicions of those that would love to see you fall by even putting the thought of a college football star with a lot of cash into the NCAA's collective heads.  There were pictures and reports of Manziel drinking from a champagne bottle at a Dallas nightclub.  The 20-year old was with his mom, which makes it legal in Texas.  God bless Texas.  I can't quit you.

A & M athletic director Eric Hyman had seen enough.  According to Brent Zwerneman of the San Antonio Express-News, Hyman called a meeting with the Manziel family, the equivalent of being called to the principal's office.  The message?  Tone it down.  Hyman said of the tone of the meeting, "I told (the Manziels) he's no longer a freshman, and he's no longer a sophomore, junior or senior.  He's a 'Heisman'."

I feel for the young man.  I didn't make it through college because I went pro in radio after two wonderful freshman years at the University of Oklahoma.  I also was busy doing things that would me Twitter or Instagram blow up because of the stupidity of my behavior.  I'll let it slide... for now.

I hope Johnny Football had his fun... sowed his oats... got it out of his system.  If he didn't, it's gonna be a bumpy ride in College Station.  A wise movie character once said, "With great power comes great responsibility".  That rings true for J-Football (I'm tired of writing the whole name already).  Time to learn from Mike Gundy and BE A MAN!!

Or am I being too hard on the youngster?  What do you think?  Just a kid... or grown man with the responsibility of being a role model?  After all, A & M AD Eric Hyman said it best, "That's a special fraternity, but you also have to understand (Manziel) is 20 years old.  It's a tremendous responsibility."