Jim Mora, on Josh Rosen’s ‘f**k Trump’ cap flap: ‘you’re heading towards Johnny Manziel’

Four years ago, being compared to Johnny Manziel would’ve been considered a compliment. These days? Not so much, as evidenced by Jim Mora discussing his precocious sophomore quarterback.

During an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show this week, the UCLA head coach lavished praise on the sophomore signal-caller, saying at one point that, had he been eligible, Rosen would’ve been the first pick in the 2016 NFL draft over Cal’s Jared Goff. Mora also compared, very favorably, his quarterback to future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning.

“I can’t remember ever seeing anyone at [Rosen’s] age with the arm talent, the intelligence, the decision-making, the drive, the passion and the ability that he has,” Mora said.

And then there was the JFF blast.

Earlier this offseason, Rosen created quite the kerfuffle when he wore a “f**k Trump” cap to one of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee’s golf courses. While most either viewed it as humorous or a kid being a kid, Mora couched the incident in terms that, given how Manziel’s career has crashed and burned, would open anyone’s eyes.

From BruinsNation.com:

Unless he continues to work hard...unless he makes good decisions...unless he dedicates himself the way that guys like Tom Brady and Drew Brees and Peyton Manning have then it’s a pipe dream. And, I’ve asked him “Who do you want to be Johnny Manziel or Tom Brady? And, you need to make that decision right now and you need to start working in the direction that you want to work in. So, if you’re going to go out on Donald Trump’s golf course and wear a hat that says ‘F-- Trump’, I said, ‘You’re heading towards Johnny Manziel.’ So, let’s head toward Peyton Manning. Let’s head towards Tom Brady. Let’s head towards Troy Aikman,” who spent an hour with him on Sunday, which was fantastic...talking to him about the responsibilities of being a quarterback.

While Rosen doesn’t even remotely appear to be headed down the same self-destructive path Manziel has blazed, Mora is doing everything in his power to ensure that the potential first-overall pick of the 2018/2019 NFL draft stays on the straight and narrow.