Photo by Brandon Jones, TexAgs.com
Texas A&M Football
"I decided to write the Manziel book during the SMU game his freshman year. I was in the stadium and I was just amazed. He kind of came out of the blue on me and that day I believe he accounted for 6 TDs and I put it in the back of my mind thinking I would write a book about him someday."
“I put a different spin on it. If there is something out there you've already read on him, I tried to further the information and put my own spin on it and make it even better. Even though you’ve lived with Johnny Manziel down in College Station for the last two years you’re going to find a lot of refreshing things in the book.”
“Someday, someone is going to write a book all about the entire Manziel family. It is rich what went on with the family, going all the way back to the great grandfather sparring with Jack Dempsey, coming into east Texas with two dollars and turning that into about five-million a year. This is one of the most amazing family stories I have ever come upon.”
"Go look at the pictures of the great grandfather and he looks a lot like Johnny. I think the gene cut through the rest of the family and landed on Johnny when he was born. I think his grandfather's gene, Bobby Manziel, landed on him because he was a fighter and he was tough."
“Give full credit to Kevin Sumlin for getting Manziel on the field in 2012, we know he is a bright man. He met Johnny's problems proactively and he took Johnny in, he punished him. Johnny ran stadium steps and was put him in some alcohol classes so when the time came for Texas A&M to decide if he was going to be suspended or if he was going to get to play, Sumlin could say he already punished him and that Manziel understands what he did. That was the saving grace of Johnny Manziel that freshman season.”
“Having written this book, there are a lot of Johnny haters out there. However, he hasn't done what Jameis Winston has done. Now, getting in a fist fight at 2:12 in the morning in the middle of the street, that's fairly serious stuff. He's dabbles around in some marginal trouble and everything he does hits the newspapers and Twitter. I would like to see him pull out of this mentality and do things more cautiously because I think it has hurt him in Cleveland."
"They named the starter three days after he flipped the bird to the Washington Redskins. How does Mike Pettine say, even though he did that that he's the starting quarterback? I think it damaged him, I think he needs to pull back a little bit, especially in the offseason. He needs to let everybody know he’s working hard, let everybody know he’s going to be a great leader and I think when that happens his NFL career will take off.”
“Don't count on this and I'm not predicting this is going to happen, but the trading deadline is tomorrow and I’m wondering if Jerry Jones is on the phone with Cleveland trying to make an offer for Johnny. I bet there is going to be some talk today and tomorrow, I’m not saying he’s going to be traded but wouldn't that interesting if Johnny ended up in Dallas.”
"Here's the scenario that would allow Johnny to the Cowboys to work. You bring him in and have a press conference to say that Tony Romo is our quarterback for the rest of the season, and then next year we're going to start looking at Johnny. Romo isn't going to last forever, especially with his back surgeries."
Best-selling author Jim Dent on his book 'Manziel Mania'
Key quotes from Jim Dent interview
“You hope these coaches in Cleveland will figure it out and put him in. He’s so much better than Hoyer; I know they won again yesterday. I know that Hoyer had a good fourth quarter but I think when they put Johnny in they’re going to make it to the playoffs.""I decided to write the Manziel book during the SMU game his freshman year. I was in the stadium and I was just amazed. He kind of came out of the blue on me and that day I believe he accounted for 6 TDs and I put it in the back of my mind thinking I would write a book about him someday."
“I put a different spin on it. If there is something out there you've already read on him, I tried to further the information and put my own spin on it and make it even better. Even though you’ve lived with Johnny Manziel down in College Station for the last two years you’re going to find a lot of refreshing things in the book.”
“Someday, someone is going to write a book all about the entire Manziel family. It is rich what went on with the family, going all the way back to the great grandfather sparring with Jack Dempsey, coming into east Texas with two dollars and turning that into about five-million a year. This is one of the most amazing family stories I have ever come upon.”
"Go look at the pictures of the great grandfather and he looks a lot like Johnny. I think the gene cut through the rest of the family and landed on Johnny when he was born. I think his grandfather's gene, Bobby Manziel, landed on him because he was a fighter and he was tough."
“Give full credit to Kevin Sumlin for getting Manziel on the field in 2012, we know he is a bright man. He met Johnny's problems proactively and he took Johnny in, he punished him. Johnny ran stadium steps and was put him in some alcohol classes so when the time came for Texas A&M to decide if he was going to be suspended or if he was going to get to play, Sumlin could say he already punished him and that Manziel understands what he did. That was the saving grace of Johnny Manziel that freshman season.”
“Having written this book, there are a lot of Johnny haters out there. However, he hasn't done what Jameis Winston has done. Now, getting in a fist fight at 2:12 in the morning in the middle of the street, that's fairly serious stuff. He's dabbles around in some marginal trouble and everything he does hits the newspapers and Twitter. I would like to see him pull out of this mentality and do things more cautiously because I think it has hurt him in Cleveland."
"They named the starter three days after he flipped the bird to the Washington Redskins. How does Mike Pettine say, even though he did that that he's the starting quarterback? I think it damaged him, I think he needs to pull back a little bit, especially in the offseason. He needs to let everybody know he’s working hard, let everybody know he’s going to be a great leader and I think when that happens his NFL career will take off.”
“Don't count on this and I'm not predicting this is going to happen, but the trading deadline is tomorrow and I’m wondering if Jerry Jones is on the phone with Cleveland trying to make an offer for Johnny. I bet there is going to be some talk today and tomorrow, I’m not saying he’s going to be traded but wouldn't that interesting if Johnny ended up in Dallas.”
"Here's the scenario that would allow Johnny to the Cowboys to work. You bring him in and have a press conference to say that Tony Romo is our quarterback for the rest of the season, and then next year we're going to start looking at Johnny. Romo isn't going to last forever, especially with his back surgeries."
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