Recruiting: How last 10 Heisman Trophy winners ranked as recruits

Dec 8, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel poses for a photo with the Heisman Trophy during a press conference before the announcement of the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner at the Marriott Marquis in downtown New York City. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /

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May 8, 2014; New York, NY, USA; Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M) gestures on stage after being selected as the number twenty-two overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft to the Cleveland Browns at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /

Johnny Manziel – 2012 Heisman Winner

For one of the most polarizing players in modern football, perhaps Manziel’s recruiting rankings in high school offered a better glimpse of what his NFL career would be like and not his Heisman. Even before he became Johnny Football and attended Texas A&M, Manziel was a Texan through and through. He was born in the small town of Tyler and played at Tivy High School for four years.

While his interceptions (five) remained constant in every season as a starter, his touchdown total grew each year. He went from 11 to 19 to 45 – and that’s just his passing touchdowns. He added 15, 33, and 30 on the ground, finishing with more rushing touchdowns than passing. Here are some of his best highlights from the NUC All World Game:

Even though he received 10 different offers, including three from the state of Texas, his recruiting rankings weren’t all that impressive. His composite ranking was 395, while he was the 64th ranked recruit out of Texas, and the No. 13 dual-threat quarterback. Perhaps he developed his party reputation even before he reached the legal drinking age.

When he finally got to Texas A&M, he dominated in his two seasons there. During his Heisman year in 2012, he had two 500-yard games and beat the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa. He finished with 47 total touchdowns and nine interceptions, then followed that up with 46 touchdowns to 13 interceptions in 2013.

However, as a draft prospect, his off-the-field antics as Johnny Football prevented him from being a potential top-five pick, with one former coach even calling him an “arrogant little prick.” If anything, though, he became even worse once he got drafted by the Cleveland Browns. From flipping the bird on the sidelines, his forgettable regular season debut, skipping his team’s final game to party in Las Vegas, and allegedly assaulting his ex-girlfriend, he’s had an extremely turbulent NFL career.

Manziel was a golden God when he played in the state of Texas, but as soon as he moved to Cleveland, he became Ryan Leaf 2.0. While Texans will never forget his time as an Aggie, he remains one of the sport’s greatest cautionary tales.

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