Johnny Manziel (Quarterback, Texas A&M) was the first ever freshman to win the Heisman trophy in 2012.  He was in competition with Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o and Kansas State quarterback, Collin Klein.

The Heisman Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football in the United States whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of excellence with integrity. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work. It is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust in early December before the postseason bowl games.

The award was created by the Downtown Athletic Club in 1935 to recognize “the most valuable college football player east of the Mississippi.” After the death in October 1936 of the Club’s athletic director, John Heisman, the award was named in his honor and broadened to include players west of the Mississippi. John Heisman was active in college athletics as a football player; a head football, basketball, and baseball coach; and an athletic director. The Heisman Trophy is the oldest of several overall awards in college football.

Manziel wowed college football audiences as a quarter back in his freshman year with Texas A&M. “Johnny Football” passed for 3,419 yards and 24 touchdowns with only 8 interceptions, and he ran for 1,181 yards and 19 touchdowns to present one of the most amazing performances in the history of college football.  The defining moment on the path to the Heisman came when Johnny magically propelled the Aggies (ranked #15 at the time) to a win over powerhouse Alabama (ranked #1 at the time) in an away game.

Johnny Manziel was the second football player from Texas A&M to win the Heisman

Trophy.  John David Crow became Texas A&M’s first Heisman Trophy winner in 1957 and holds the distinction of being the only Heisman Trophy recipient under the tenure of renown coach Paul “Bear” Bryant.  John David Crow passed away in 2015.

Here is Johnny Manziel’s Heisman acceptance speech, given on November 8th, 2012, two days after turning 20 years old.

This is a moment that I’ve dreamed about since I’ve been a kid. Running around the back yard pretending I was Doug Flutie throwing “Hail Marys” with my dad. Now, I’m so blessed to be on the stage with such a group of great guys and to be invited into this fraternity. What a pleasure it really is.

I’d like to start by thanking the Heisman Trust and everybody who made this weekend possible. What a great experience it was to meet the people that I have. Manti, Collin (Klein). Not only great football players, but great guys off the field as well. It’s been a pleasure to get to know you guys better, and I wish y’all the best of luck.

It was such an honor to represent Texas A&M. If my teammates were here tonight, I wish they could be on the stage with me. Texas A&M. Choosing that school was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my entire life. And I’m so excited to be a part of that.

To Mom, Dad, Meri, the entire family watching, you mean the world to me and I just want to thank you for the encouragement, the love and the patience over the years.

To Grandpa, for all the times we used to play in the hallway and throw the ball until we couldn’t anymore. I love you with all of my heart. You inspired me to play football.

And to Grandma, I’m so sorry for all of the things we broke in the house.

To my coaches back at Kerrville Tivy, Mark Smith, Julius Scott and everybody there. You taught us all what it meant to really fight and work for something you wanted more than anything in the world. You taught us about passion and about heart and what it truly meant to say that Tivy fight never dies.

To Coach Sherman, Coach Rossley, Coach Sumlin, Coach Kingsbury and everybody who has been a part of me playing football for my entire life. You’ve been truly a blessing. You taught me not only what it is to be a football player, but to be a man as well. For that, I thank you so much.

I wish my whole team could be up here with me tonight, especially my great offensive line and the whole offense. Luke Joeckel, Jarvis Harrison, Cedric Ogbuehi, Jake Matthews and Patrick Lewis — I’m as safe standing here as I am in the pocket with you guys. You’ve done a great job of keeping me off my back and I can’t thank you enough for everything. To all my teammates back home, I love you with all of my heart.

I especially at this time would like to honor someone who is near and dear to everybody at Texas A&M in Joey Villavisencio. Around this time last year, a center on our team passed away in a tragic car accident. It’s something that as a whole team we had to fight through and press on through the bowl game. And to Mr. and Mrs. Villavisencio, if I had a son I would want him to be exactly like him. I know Joey is in a better place.

And most of all, I want to thank God for allowing me to be here. All that He has blessed me with in my entire life, I’m so thankful for. For the love and the grace that You have shown me, I’ll be forever grateful.

And the values I’ve learned from my parents and that have been carried over at Texas A&M. Leadership, respect and putting others first is what
the 12th Man is all about.

I believe the 12th Man is one of the greatest traditions in all of college football. Forty thousand students standing not as fans, but as members of our team.

To the 12th Man, to Texas A&M, Kerrville and Aggies everywhere, this Heisman Trophy is for you.

Gig ’em.

– Johnny Manziel,
2012 Heisman Trophy winner

New York City, NY
8 pm, December 8, 2012

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