How Johnny Manziel got Ohio State's Chip Kelly back over Texas A&M football diss
01/09/2025 07:55 PM
Johnny Manziel has always been a player with a chip on his shoulder, and in a recent interview on The 25/10 Show, the former Heisman Trophy winner shared a story that perfectly encapsulates his penchant for proving people wrong. Manziel recounted an interaction with Chip Kelly, now with Ohio State football, that dates back to his high school recruitment and culminated in a moment of sweet vindication years later at the NFL Combine.
As a high school quarterback, Manziel originally committed to play at Oregon under Chip Kelly. He loved the Oregon football’s innovative offense and their flashy uniforms, but when Texas A&M football came calling with a scholarship offer, Manziel made the tough decision to decommit from Oregon football to stay closer to home. The move would allow his family to watch him play, an opportunity that mattered deeply to him.
However, Kelly didn't take the news well. Manziel described the phone call where he informed Kelly of his decision:
“As a 16, 17-year-old kid in high school, he chewed me out pretty good whenever I called him and told him I was decommitting,” Manziel said. Adding insult to injury, Kelly left him with a parting shot: “If you want to go play in a s–t bowl game every year and go 6-6, have fun going to Texas A&M.”
Fast forward to 2014, after Manziel had won the Heisman Trophy in 2012 and led Texas A&M football to national prominence. Kelly, by then the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles, interviewed Manziel during the NFL Combine as part of the Eagles' pre-draft process.
Manziel, still holding onto Kelly's parting words from years earlier, couldn't resist addressing the diss when he walked into the room.
“The first thing I said to him was, ‘6-6, huh?'” Manziel recalled with a grin. Kelly, caught off guard, reportedly just laughed.
Manziel's decision to play for Texas A&M not only reshaped the Aggies' program but also altered Oregon's trajectory. During Manziel's freshman year in 2011, Oregon's quarterback was Darron Thomas, followed by Jeff Lockie. In 2013, Marcus Mariota took over and eventually won the Heisman in 2014, the same year Manziel entered the NFL as a first-round pick.
Chip Kelly, meanwhile, coached the Eagles in 2014 with Nick Foles and Mark Sanchez as his quarterbacks. Although Kelly didn't draft Manziel—opting for linebacker Marcus Smith instead—the story highlights the enduring connections and rivalries that shape college and professional football.
Though Manziel's NFL career was short-lived, his time at Texas A&M remains iconic. His story with Chip Kelly underscores the value of believing in yourself, proving doubters wrong, and having the last laugh—even if it's years in the making.
The post How Johnny Manziel got Ohio State's Chip Kelly back over Texas A&M football diss appeared first on ClutchPoints.
