"I was a Texas Longhorn freak": Former Heisman winner Johnny Manziel admits his loyalty to Texas before joining A&M
Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel is associated with the Texas A&M Aggies football team. During his two years with the Aggies, Manziel brought the national spotlight to College Station as his strong play made him a must-watch for college football fans.
While his NFL career never lived up to his potential, Manziel remains a legend in the eyes of Aggies fans.
However, growing up, Manziel was not a fan of the Aggies. Instead, his loyalty lay with their rivals, the Texas Longhorns. In an interview with ESPN's Shannon Sharpe, Manziel talked about his Longhorns fandom growing up, saying:
“...What I vividly remember is the 2005 Rose Bowl... And for Christmas day, I wake up, and my dad has his No. 10 Vince Young Texas jersey. I was a Texas Longhorn freak, right. And I'm gonna sit here and get a lot of hell from my Aggies, but like, it is what it is.
"And I remember this Christmas day might go to the tree, see this Vince Young jersey with the Rose Bowl patch on it. And after that, it was really just like, all football from that game. That last drive that cross into the endzone by Vince. The confetti was the background on my computer for four years."
The 2005 Rose Bowl was one of the reasons why Johnny Manziel got into football. The national championship game was between the Longhorns and the USC Trojans.
In an incredibly close contest, the Trojans held a lead nearing the end of the fourth quarter. However, two late touchdowns from Longhorns quarterback Vince Young gave Texas the national championship
Young won the Offensive MVP of the game, and his performance had an effect on Johnny Manziel, so much so that, like many Longhorns fans, he wore Young's jersey.
That year's Rose Bowl is seen by many college football fans as one of the greatest games of all time. However, Aggies fans who love Manziel would not be pleased with Manziel due to their strong rivalry with the Longhorns.
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The Texas A&M Aggies and Texas Longhorns rivalry
The Longhorns and the Aggies share a historic and strong rivalry. In both of their respective fight songs, there is a reference to the other school. For example, the University of Texas fight song “Texas Fight” features the line “and its goodbye to A&M.”
The rivalry is at its strongest on the football field, the sport that both teams are known for.
During 1915-2011, the two teams met every season, with the Longhorns winning 76 meetings and A&M winning 37.
These meetings ended in 2011 after the Aggies joined the SEC. This means that Manziel never had the opportunity to play against the team he supported growing up.
But in 2024, the rivalry returns due to the Longhorns’ move to the SEC. On Nov. 30, the teams will meet for the first time in 13 years, in what will be a resumption of one of college football's strongest rivalries.
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