Former Texas A&M legend Johnny Manziel heading into enemy territory to check out an SEC standout who has been compared to him
Former Texas A&M legend Johnny Manziel is heading to SEC country this weekend. A player who has received a Johnny Football comp in the past will be playing.
On a recent episode of Nightcap show, featuring Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, former Texas A&M legend Johnny Manziel joined to discuss random topics across the college football and NFL landscape. During the segment, the former Aggie quarterback announces that he will be heading to Tuscaloosa to take in the Alabama battle against the Vanderbilt Commodores.
For Texas A&M fans out there, this gives them a chance to reminisce about Manziel’s upset of the Crimson Tide during his time in College Station. Manziel also gets the chance to check out Vanderbilt signal caller Diego Pavia, who has received some Johnny Football comparisons in the past. Both of them have led upsets of the Crimson Tide in their respective careers, and Pavia is hoping to do so again on Saturday.
The legacy of Johnny Football
When you talk about the legend of Johnny Football, there are plenty of things to divert your attention from just how good a football player Manziel was. He certainly had, and still has, some demons. That includes during his time in College Station, as well as with the Cleveland Browns. While some of those things off the field are a bit messy, many people forgot all he accomplished to be selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
In two seasons as a starter for the Aggies, Manziel quickly became a superstar figure. He managed to throw for 7,820 yards and 63 touchdowns during those two seasons, while also completing just shy of 69 percent of his passes. Manziel was also dynamic with his legs, adding another 2,169 yards and 30 touchdowns on the ground. Those efforts were good enough to earn him the 2012 Heisman Trophy Award, given to the most outstanding player in college football that season.
While things didn’t work out in the NFL, Manziel is a legend for a whole wave of college football signal callers. That legacy can’t be understated. He opened doors for quarterbacks who play like Pavia.
Pavia has had a very unique ride through the wonderful world of college football so far. He originally went the JUCO route at New Mexico Military, eventually earning his way to New Mexico State. After two years there, he then earned an opportunity with Vanderbilt via the Transfer Portal before the 2024 season.
Defying every odd put in front of him, Pavia has morphed into one of the better dual threat quarterbacks in the country. In his four years on the FBS level, Pavia has thrown for 7,927 yards and 72 touchdowns. The 6-0, 200-pound signal caller has also added another 2,526 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground.
While Pavia won’t be remembered quite to the degree of Johnny Football, he has already cemented a place with some of the best stories in college football in recent memory. If he is somehow able to upset Alabama once again this weekend, however, the legend will continue to grow at a rapid rate.
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