Super Bowl winning champion and former Texas A&M legend Mike Evans recently got to sit down with Kevin Hart on the 'Cold As Balls' podcast to discuss the upcoming season, Harry Potter, and his time at Texas A&M.
Heisman winner Johnny Manziel shocked the world in 2012 when the Aggies came into Tuscaloosa to face No. 1 Alabama, against A.J. McCarron, Amari Cooper, Eddie Lacy, T.J. Yeldon, Vinnie Sunseri and of course, the king of college football, Nick Saban. Following that upset victory in November of 2012, Manziel's trajectory in the NFL took a giant leap following his exciting freshman season.
Evans discussed the harsh reality that college football fans know well, it's tough to translate your game to the NFL, even one of the greatest college football players ever like Manziel couldn't even make it work.
Evans: '(Manziel's) career didn't go how I had hoped'
Evans and Manziel made for one of the most exciting QB-WR duos in college football, even if it was only a two-year run. During that 2013 season, Manziel and Evans had a disappointing year going 8-4, after what was supposed to be an even stronger post-Heisman season.
It only got worse for Manziel from there, as it seems the legal troubles, the celebrities and the parties finally got to him, and Evans repeats the 'what if' that Aggie fans know all too well (skip to 8:05).
"His career didn't go how he had hoped, I had hoped, and his fans had hoped, but that's life. He changed that A&M program around forever. "Mike Evans
It's also not Manziel's fault completely, but it seems like the money and parties just seemed more enticing in the NFL, which made leaving A&M more convincing for him. He definitely should've had more professional guidance while he was in College Station, while also maybe convincing him to stay two more years at A&M to perfect his game and attitude.
We have to remind ourselves that the average NFL career is three years, and even though we can name plenty of guys that have stayed for a lot more than that, the game can just take a toll on your body and mind. The game wasn't fun for him at the professional level, and it sadly translated to one of the biggest flops in NFL history.
Evans said that he and Manziel remain 'close,' and that's a great sight to see. Manziel needs family and friends at this stage of his life, and his appearance on College GameDay last season against Notre Dame is exactly what Aggie fans love to see.