Brian Bosworth a “bigger jerk” than Johnny Manziel

Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel got a lot of negative reactions from his on-field antics in their season opening win over Rice. Manziel was throwing up the “show me the money sign,” signing air autographs and talking trash a lot, which led to a unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and resulted in him being bench.

While he looked like a jerk in that game, former NFL lineman Tony Casillas says that is nothing compared to Brian Bosworth, his ex-teammate at Oklahoma.

Bosworth “was a bigger jerk than Johnny Manziel,” Casillas said Thursday on his radio show on 107.7 The Franchise, The Oklahoman reported.

“I remember I played with Brian Bosworth and there was a lot of times that I really felt like there had been a situation where either an assistant coach or head coach could’ve filtered him because he was out of hand,” Casillas said. “… I look back and the guys like that, for me I think he was a bigger jerk than Johnny Manziel. I knew he was.”

Former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer, who coached Bosworth, didn’t appreciate the behavior but said that you used to be able to get away with it.

“I wanted to jerk his face mask and I wanted to grab him up, and of course you get fired for doing that,” Switzer said Wednesday on ESPN Radio’s “The Herd with Colin Cowherd.” “But in the old days, you could get away with it.”

Of course there is a double standard for quarterbacks and defensive players, who try to intimidate offensive players and get in their heads. Switzer defended despite kicking him off the team for wearing a shirt calling the NCAA the “National Communists Against Athletes” in the 1987 Orange Bowl.

“I didn’t know he was wearing the damn T-shirt during the ballgame,” Switzer said. “I’m watching the game. I went and got that TV tape, I called him and said, ‘Brian, I don’t care whether you go pro or not because your [butt] isn’t playing on this team next year.’ I kicked him off the team, at least publicly. I said, ‘You’re through.’ You might as well make your decision and release it right now that you’re not going to be here next year. You’re going to be in pro football and you’re not playing your senior year for your conduct on the sidelines. Then he comes back begging to me, ‘Please put me back on the team, I want some bargaining chips, to have an opportunity to deal with the [NFL draft].'”

Switzer relented and allowed Bosworth to rejoin the team.

“When I finally did see the sideline escapade he put on — that’s what put Brian in trouble,” Switzer said. “It wasn’t ever what he ever did on game day. His game-day play was great.”

Switzer’s defense of Bosworth centered around him being a good student and staying out of legal issues.