Johnny Manziel Oddly Defends Police Officer After Incident vs. South Carolina

As if Texas A&M's 28-point comeback win against the South Carolina Gamecocks last Saturday wasn't crazy enough, an off-field incident that took place during the game also made headlines after the horn sounded.

After South Carolina wide receiver Nyck Harbor took an 80-yard pass to the house to extend the Gamecocks' lead, he and a few other players ran into the northeast tunnel of Kyle Field, and as they were returning to the sideline, a police officer walking up the tunnel bumped shoulders with Harbor, turned around and pointed a stern finger at the wideout while yelling something.

The officer was later relieved of his gameday duties, and while many criticized the officer for the incident, former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel was not one of them.

"Just Let Him Know What's Up"

During his appearance on Nightcap with Shannon Sharpe and Chad Ochocinco, Manziel provided some odd support for the officer, saying that he was simply protecting the house.

Nov 15, 2025; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver KC Concepcion (7) runs with the ball past South Carolina Gamecocks defensive back Vicari Swain (4) during the fourth quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

“I think we were just a little frustrated in that first half,” Manziel said on the show. "He breaks off that long touchdown. Around here in these parts, partner, we protect this house. We paid a lot of money for this house. Get out of my tunnel, boy. Get back on the field. So he gave him a little something. Let him know what’s up. To be honest, it didn’t give us much of a spark.”

Obviously, the law's job is to protect and serve, but many are still questioning why the officer was there to begin with, especially where the players were following that touchdown.

The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner would go on to say that the officer's actions don't reflect that of the 12th Man, and that the officer was simply caught up in the moment.

“Listen, the majority of the time you don’t see a lot of that from A&M people,” Manziel said. “You don’t see it from Aggies. It is a small gesture that, of course, in the day and age we live in, it’s on TV and recorded and blasted everywhere. I’m sure the guy obviously feels bad about it. I’m sure it’s one of those moments.”

Whatever the reason is that the cop did what he did, it led to a very exciting second half for the Aggies, who scored touchdowns on four straight drives to chop down South Carolina's 27-point lead and end up with a 31-30 win.

The Aggies will host the Samford Bulldogs Saturday morning at 11:00 AM in their final regular-season home game of the 2025 season.