South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney got the largest crowd and provided some beefy material for reporters on Day 1 of SEC Media Days.
That was small-time compared to the Sharknado* of attention given to Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel. The Heisman Trophy winner has had an interesting offseason fueled largely by polarizing opinions over his visibility on social media and rumors about his behavior away from the field. Manziel’s perception took another hit when a report over the weekend said the quarterback was sent home from the Manning Passing Academy, where he was a student counselor, for allegedly being hungover.
(*We had to get that reference in there somewhere.)
Speaking on ESPN Wednesday morning during SEC Media Days, Manziel had a chance to tell his side of the story. As one would expect, Manziel denied being hungover. “Absolutely not,” Manziel said, adding that nothing about last Friday night contributed to him missing meetings the following morning; rather, Manziel explained that he overslept the next morning. Manziel described the decision to leave the Academy as “mutual” but “disappointing.”
Maybe it was bogus. Maybe it wasn’t.
Joe Tessitore conducted a good interview with tough questions, but Manziel, who has always been good in front of cameras, handled himself relatively well.
His responses were a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, Manziel was engaging and seemed genuine when talking about the whirlwind of the past year. Manziel recognizes the missteps he’s taken, but he doesn’t necessarily apologize for them. He certainly doesn’t pretend to be something he isn’t. On the other, he gave some answers that sounded scripted (because they probably were) and skirted around other questions. For example, Manziel gave a “no comment” when asked if he was drinking at the Manning Academy.
That’s all to be expected. Manziel is in damage control mode now, even if the damage isn’t all that bad. This morning will be the first of many times the redshirt sophomore has to answer for something he did besides throwing a football. That’s the expectation that goes along with being the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and current face of the program, regardless of age.
Personally, it never felt like much of what Manziel did was all that bad (although if Manziel genuinely was hungover at the Manning Passing Academy, that’s a different story). As long as he’s a good teammate, respects his coaches, and prepares for each game the way he should, the other stuff will be quickly forgotten.
Will Manziel actually cut back or otherwise eliminate his visibility away from the field -- the very thing that brings extra attention to him? Probably, at least for the immediate future. Fall camp provides some structure that helps with that.
But here’s hoping Manziel, a likable and interesting guy, doesn’t start putting up a wall when speaking to media. Even though he has every right to.