WASHINGTON – Johnny Manziel, the 2012 Heisman winner, will enter the 2014 NFL draft, forgoing his last two seasons of college eligibility, NFL.com is reporting.
Players who have been out of high school for three years are eligible to enter the draft, according to NFL rules.
NFL.com reports “Although Manziel played just two seasons at Texas A&M, he redshirted at the school in 2011, giving him the necessary three years away from from his days as a star at Kerrville (Texas) Tivy High School to enter the upcoming draft.”
Manziel, quarterback at Texas A&M, was the first freshman to win the Heisman, and it helped turn him into one of the biggest celebrities in sports. Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston was the second freshman to win the Heisman.
Manziel basked in the spotlight after winning the Heisman and decided to live loud and large. His road trips made headlines. His tweets were analyzed. He got tossed from a frat party and overslept a meeting at the Manning Passing Academy. Real potential trouble came when the NCAA looked into whether he signed autographs for money. He got off with a half-game suspension.
In his Heisman follow-up season, Manziel’s passing stats improved as he stayed in the pocket more often. Both his completion percentage (69.1) and yards per attempts (9.5) went up.
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The Associated Press’ Ralph D. Russo contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter.
