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Texas A&M football: 30 greatest players of all-time

By Jeff Shull

Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M Aggies. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M Aggies. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images) /
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Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M Aggies
Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M Aggies. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images) /

Stats – 7,820 passing yards, 63 passing touchdowns; 2,169 rushing yards, 30 rushing touchdowns

Accolades – 2012 Heisman Trophy Winner, 2012 Davey O’Brien Award Winner, 2012 AP Player of the Year, 2012 Sporting News Player of the Year, 2012 SEC Offensive Player of the Year, 2012 Consensus All-American, All-SEC First Team in 2012 & 2013

Team signature moment – Beating the No. 1Alabama Crimson Tide in 2012

Could there be any other player? Johnny Manziel isn’t just the greatest player to ever don an Aggie uniform, he is in the conversation for greatest college football player of all-time. The numbers he put up in just two seasons were absolutely ridiculous.

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Manziel took over the starting job after Ryan Tannehill graduated (and was the No. 8 pick in the NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins).

No one knew what to expect of the quarterback situation. Manziel didn’t even have the starting job until he won it from Jameill Showers in offseason camp.

“Johnny Football” took a while to get started, but when he took off he launched into the stratosphere. He had a couple of so-so games against the LSU Tigers and the Florida Gators, then the stats began piling up.

He became the only player to account for two 500+ yard games in the same season, racking up 557 against the Arkansas Razorbacks and 576 against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs.

Manziel finally etched himself into and on top of the Heisman conversation when he had 345 combined rushing and passing yards against the Alabama Crimson Tide in a shocking upset of the No. 1 team in the country, on the road nonetheless. It was one of the most exciting and thrilling games in Aggie history.

Related Story. 5 Best Texas vs. Texas A&M games of Big 12 era. light

Manziel would go on to be a first-round draft pick in the NFL by the Cleveland Browns, but personal issues with alcohol and drug abuse derailed his career. He’s currently attempting a comeback to the NFL, having been out of the league for several years now.