Johnny Manziel declares himself ready for NFL
Johnny Manziel said he wants to make sure NFL teams are "quarterback-needy." (Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
Johnny Football believes he's ready for the NFL.
Last year's Heisman Trophy winner thinks he has the skill set to succeed in the pros now, and told Jimmy Burch of the Star-Telegram his play on the field shows he's ready to make the jump to the next level:
"In my mind, I think I am. I feel like I’m playing, for the most part, at a really high level of football. I’m putting the ball where I want it to be and I’m throwing it with a lot of velocity.”
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Manziel, who turned 21 last week and is currently a third-year sophomore at Texas A&M, has a 69.1 percent completion rate and 33 touchdown passes this season for the 8-4 Aggies. He said he will use the next few weeks to sit down with A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, private passing instructor George Whitfield Jr., and others in his inner circle to decide whether to call it a career at the college level.
He added that regardless of whether he's ready to make the jump, he also wants to also consider whether teams in the NFL draft are "quarterback-needy" heading into next season:
"If this was to be the end of it, I want to be one of the best to ever play at A&M. Hopefully, I did my part to try and help build the program and take it to another level...You don’t want to go and be unprepared for the National Football League and leave two years on the table. It all comes down to making the best decision for you. Whether you’re ready. Whether teams are quarterback-needy. You look at all your factors."
