Johnny Manziel won the Heisman Trophy with Texas A&M football in 2012 and went on to become a first round pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2014. Manziel recently shared a shocking first-hand account of an alleged $3 million dollar deal to return to the Aggies the year he was drafted, stating that “bag men” were more prevalent in college football than most realized.
Manziel’s admission dates back to the days of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS), a far cry from the playoff system being implemented in 2024. Manziel has been adamant in recent years defending what went on during his controversial era of college football, most recently defending ex-USC football star Reggie Bush who had his Heisman Trophy revoked.
As Manziel’s recent Netflix documentary ‘Untold: Johnny Football’ proved, the former Aggies superstar is not one to shy away from speaking his mind.
His latest admission has the potential to send shockwaves through the Big 12, SEC, and college football worlds.
According to the Tyler, Texas native, his dad attempted to broker a multi-million dollar deal while he was in the process of deciding whether or not to go pro.
Manziel said that programs like Texas A&M, Alabama football, and LSU football all had “bag men” at that time, paying players during a period when it was against the rules.
NEW: Johnny Manziel's dad tried to broker a $3M deal on his behalf to return to Texas A&M in 2014
"And my dad did this without me knowing. And I ain’t mad at him about it for nothing. It’s the way the business worked back then. There was a bag man.
There was a bag man at… pic.twitter.com/yvI85C622D
— On3 (@On3sports) February 21, 2024
Manziel racked up over 7,800 yards and 63 passing touchdowns for the Aggies while also rushing for over 2,100 yards in two seasons in College Station.
Fan accounts and readers alike responded to Manziel’s comments on Twitter.
“Threw LSU and Bama straight under the bus,” one Penn State football fan account said with a laughing and crying emoji at the end of their comment.
“A&M doing anything to try and win and they still suck,” another reader added.
“Anyone surprised? Nope,” still another fan added.
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