Johnny Manziel explains Oregon interest, reason for leaving

Johnny Manziel was once really interested in Oregon and even committed to the Ducks on the spot.

Obviously, that did not last as the former Heisman Trophy winner ended up at Texas A&M and became “Johnny Football.” But at one point, Oregon offered Marcus Mariota and Manziel at the same camp.

Manziel committed right away but eventually changed his mind as he explained on Club Shay Shay with Shannon Sharpe.

“I didn’t go to Oregon, not anything that had to do with Marcus,” Manziel said. “I think it was 2010, Cam Newton, Auburn year. They play LaMichael James and the Ducks in the Fiesta Bowl for the National Championship.

“(When I saw those) jerseys coming out, I’m committed. Whoa, crazy. And when I went there, they made my family, when I got into contact with Oregon, Chip Kelly, they didn’t give us the roll-out-the-red-carpet treatment to go visit. They’re like ‘you want to come up here on your dime and come to this camp? We’ll let you come in and we’ll evaluate you.’” 

That’s when Manziel revealed he met Mariota at the camp and was astounded by the eventual Heisman winner and No. 2 pick’s size.

“As I get there, I meet with Chip Kelly and doing the whole deal that you do on a recruiting trip,” Manziel said. “We get to the football portion of it where we’re going out on the field, and I jog out where I’m supposed to go and there’s this kid sitting there, six-four Hawaiian kid, and he’s in line. I go ‘yo bro, you’re playing receiver today?’ And he looks at me and he goes ‘playing quarterback.’ And I remember in my head at that time I’m like, I’m so (expletive).” 

That didn’t stop Manziel from competing with Mariota during the individual drills and showing what he could potentially do at the college level. Again, he committed on the spot when he was offered.

“So there was that initial reaction right and as we go through the drills, it’s just like boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom,” Manziel said. “Two Heisman Trophy winners before it ever happens. It was so good that when we got off the field that day, we both got offered at the same time, at the same day. And I committed on the spot. That’s what I wanted to do. 

“They could have had five or six quarterbacks in that class. And they told us they were gonna take three because they needed depth. I knew that going into it. And I committed anyway.”

The rest was history of course as both men eventually won Heismans and were first round picks. Manziel would eventually flame out of the pros and go through addiction and eventually rehabilitation. Mariota played last season with the Philadelphia Eagles, his ninth year in the league.

What might have been had Manziel been a Duck in the Kelly offense back then? It’s a fun what-if game.