Johnny Manziel happy college athletes have money-making opportunities

Johnny Manziel talks about his life, career and future

SportsPulse: Johnny Manziel told USA TODAY Sports that he would not consider returning to the NFL even if offered the chance.

SportsPulse, USA TODAY

Johnny Manziel admitted in an interview with Barstool Sports last month that just weeks after winning the Heisman Trophy with Texas A&M, he made thousands of dollars for secretly signing items.

That would have been a big no-go if it had been justified back then. Now a combination of recently enacted state laws and the resignation of NCAA college athletes enables college athletes to make money off of their name, image, and likeness – getting paid to sign autographs is just one example.

Instead of complaining that the fundamental change in his case came a decade too late, Manziel says he is pleased with the groundbreaking developments.

Perhaps few college athletes in recent history have benefited more from their name, image, and likeness than the dazzling Aggies quarterback, whose daring and Johnny Football personality captivated college football viewers.

If only the newly opened NIL avenues had been available to him.

More: Texas Tech employees and Red Raiders athletes prepare for the unknown with NIL deals

“If that were the case, it could have been great,” said Manziel, “but what I like about what’s happening right now is what the guys will have in the future. Maybe even in my day it sparked the discussion, getting it is a positive thing. I want the guys to be able to do this in college. “

Manziel, 28, was in Lubbock in late June to take part in the Hillcrest Swingers Partnership Golf Tournament. He made national news at the same event last year after telling AJ Media that his football career was “likely in the past”.

Now based in Scottsdale, Arizona, he “plays golf, lives life, happier than ever.” He is also interested in the new developments in university sports.

“When I was in college,” he said, “there were, especially at a school like A&M – and we’ll see that in the future, schools with very good community support and people in the area – I think there was a huge opportunity there Earning a lot of money and getting autographs is just one thing.

“I still think that goes for college people. I think it’s going to be a very, very profitable thing to have people approached by people – which is already happening, regardless of what was recently decided.

“But I think it’s good to put some money in these guys’ pockets. It’s no fun when you have a $ 600 scholarship check every month and sometimes you go through the month and struggle to get by on a few … maybe $ 100. So it’s going in the right direction, I’m glad it happened and I’m glad it got to where it was. “

Status of NIL Bills for College Athletes

According to Business of College Sports, the governors of nearly half of the US states signed NIL laws or issued an executive order on Friday. More than a dozen other states are involved in NIL legislation – from submitting a bill to passing a bill in a statehouse to waiting for a governor’s signature.

Instead of going against this current, the NCAA said last week it would not ban NIL activities, even for athletes in states without a new law. However, it prohibits NIL offers from being used as an incentive to sign with a particular school and prohibits compensation for athletic participation or performance.

More: Texas Tech Athletes Announce NIL Era Deals

University athletes can only be compensated by third parties, not by their schools.

Manziel believes that college athletes can supplement their income, which may be an incentive for some to stay in school.

“You see it all the time: there was no shortage of people who didn’t turn the lights on in college at the end of the month and waited a few days for your direct deposit to arrive,” he said. “For the guys who really know what it is like for some of these guys who go to college and play soccer and how hard it really is, especially in this day and age, hopefully what they get will go up a bit.

“It’s tight at the end of the day. You’re a college kid and a lot of people leave early because they don’t have enough money to get through and they’re fed up with the fight, so they (pro) leave (pro) maybe a year early.” Maybe that (monetization via NIL) will enable some people to stay a while and do a few things and play four years at a university. “

Johnny Manziel describes autograph sessions under the table

In an interview with Barstool Sports a month ago, Manziel said that after the 2012 season he took $ 33,000 from two people – $ 3,000 from one and $ 30,000 from another who knew about the initial agreement to give autographs. He said the secret sessions were held in Miami around the 2013 BCS championship game being played there.

“I have about $ 65 in my bank account,” Manziel said when telling Bartool the incident. “I’m waiting for the scholarship check at the beginning of the month in January.”

“I drove to an airport, met someone and this guy offered me money to sign autographs,” Manziel told AJ Media. “That was the first time I got any money in college and it’s doable for these guys (today). It’s definitely a way and definitely one that’s not wrong.”

Opponents of the NIL movement for the benefit of college athletes often point out what they are already reaping: scholarships that give them the chance for a debt-free degree, as well as access to nutritious meals, tutoring, medical care, strength training, and millions of dollars multi Sports venues that have been taken over from their athletics departments.

A valid argument, says Manziel, but he takes the other side.

“There are always two ways of looking at it,” he said, “and there are always people who say, ‘We send our (general student body) kids to college and we pay a lot of money, and that’s it. ‘But it also pays to have a talent, and it pays to be good, and you have to develop that talent and still go to class, do your stuff, and go about business.

“So it’s a very good thing and a blessing to most of the guys who come in? Absolutely. Nobody denies that. What’s wrong with more? For people who bring a lot to campus and people who bring a lot to the university itself.

“I feel like I made a big impact on Texas A&M. I think you could say the same thing about Reggie Bush or Vince Young or a lot of people down the line. (Texas Tech’s) Graham Harrell, Michael Crabtree, You Do You Think these guys wouldn’t have made any money in their time either?

“There are people out there who are moving the needle, doing special things that will have a chance to benefit financially.”

Who signed contracts under the NIL?

The first wave of state NIL laws went into effect Thursday. Miami quarterback D’Eriq King, the basketball players from Fresno State, Haley and Hanna Cavinder and the LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne – the marketability of the Cavinder twins and Dunnes, which in addition to their athletic talent is boosted by a large social media follower was – were the first to be known to sign or be able to sign deals for lucrative amounts.

A larger number of college athletes, including Texas Tech’s Kevin McCullar, Tyler Shough, and Marcus Santos-Silva, reached for easily accessible, low-hanging fruit. They have accounts with Cameo, an online platform where fans can record video messages from celebrities, usually for a small fee.

Manziel said tech can be one of the winners in the NIL era.

“I think there is a huge following in Lubbock,” he said. “I think there are a lot of very good local companies out there that, depending on how the image and the likeness go, can take care of your boys now, and you can take care of the boys in such a way that they stay a few years longer and play college football. “

In May 2017, a month after the Kansas City Chiefs designed Patrick Mahomes II, a West Texas car dealership announced an advertising partnership with the former tech quarterback. Mahomes’ celebrity status skyrocketed when he became the NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion, and the commercials are still running locally.

Although Manziel wasn’t referring to Mahomes, Manziel wondered why a dealership wouldn’t want to use “a local college student” for its marketing.

“I think they deserve to go out and make money,” said Manziel. “Everyone else can go out and earn as much as they want. If you’re in college, you can get a job and go to school. Why can’t I do sports, go to school and still have a job and earn money?

“So it’s going to change the landscape. The ultimate question for the whole NCAA thing is how do you make it fair? And will the NCAA stick its tail too and just walk away in this fight? her MO. “

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