Success of Johnny Manziel will come down to discipline, on and off field

Beyond showing that he's matured off the field, Johnny Manziel must prove he has the patience to be a pocket passer.

Darren Carroll for Sports Illustrated

"When I decided to make this decision to turn professional, it was time to really put my college years in the past,'' Manziel said, when asked if he was willing to change his lifestyle upon entering the NFL. "This is a job now. There's guys' families, coaches' families and jobs and all kinds of things on the line. For me it's nothing [to scale back his active social life]. It won't be a hard thing to kick or anything really that hard to not do. I'm extremely focused on whatever organization I'll be at and really pouring my heart out trying to be football 24/7 with that team.''

Those are just some of the questions Manziel still has to answer to the Texans' and the NFL's satisfaction. Discipline and maturity -- both on and off the field -- can't be just talked about. They have to be displayed in different settings, and prove lasting. The draft's first round is still more than two and a half months away, but Manziel's track record and reputation are topics that aren't about to fade away.