Best Texas A&M football players: Modern-era Mount Rushmore

Say what you will about him and despite the way his pro career turned out, there’s no escaping the fact that Johnny Manziel is the greatest player in Texas A&M football history. Not only was a simply unforgettable figure for his swagger and antics on and off the field but he produced in a way unlike anything ever seen in the history of the Aggies.

Once Ryan Tannehill graduate, Manziel took over the starting quarterback job in 2012 as a redshirt freshman and Johnny Football took over every college football conversation. In that season, he threw for 3,706 yards, 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions but also rushed for 1,410 yards and 21 touchdowns. That was good enough for him to win the Heisman Trophy, becoming the first freshman to ever win the award and joining John David Crow as the only Aggie to win it.

While he failed to win back-to-back Heismans, Manziel was still every bit as electric, fun to watch and productive the following season. While his rushing dipped a bit with 759 yards and nine touchdowns, his passing numbers increased as he threw for 4,114 yards, 37 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Manziel only played two years for the Aggies before heading to the NFL but he still is second all-time in career passing yards and passing touchdowns (he holds the single-season record in both categories). Moreover, he’s tied for ninth in career rushing touchdowns and is the career leader in total offensive yards and total offensive touchdowns at 9,989 and 93, respectively.

He’s undeniably the greatest to ever play for Texas A&M and is among the greatest college football players ever.

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