Texas A&M football fans were having an ordinary Monday, going about their daily routines without much excitement. However, that quickly changed when their social media feeds were suddenly flooded with unexpected news. Many Aggie supporters were caught off guard by what they saw, as it was something they hadn’t anticipated encountering.
This period in the college football calendar is typically quiet, with little major news breaking. Spring football has yet to fully ramp up, and recruiting is mostly centered around scheduling visits rather than major commitments or developments. As a result, there wasn’t much happening in the football world—until this surprising story surfaced.
Seemingly out of nowhere, Kirby Smart took a jab at one of Texas A&M’s most beloved players in recent memory. While speaking at a coaching clinic, Smart attempted to make a joke but ended up completely dismissing none other than Johnny Manziel. His remark quickly caught the attention of Aggie fans, sparking a wave of reactions online.
During his presentation, Smart displayed a picture featuring Bryce Young, Joe Burrow, Cam Newton, and Johnny Manziel. He then posed a question to the audience about what all four players had in common—the obvious answer being that they had all won the Heisman Trophy. However, when one attendee mistakenly shouted “champions!” as a response, Smart didn’t hesitate to fire back with a pointed comment aimed directly at Manziel.
It’s true that Johnny Manziel never won a national championship, but it’s worth noting that Bryce Young didn’t either. While Young did claim an SEC title against Georgia, he ultimately fell to the Bulldogs in the national championship game, making Smart’s comment somewhat misleading.
The point Smart was likely trying to make was that all four of these quarterbacks had standout performances against his defenses. Their success against Georgia likely played a role in each of them winning the Heisman Trophy, which was the real connection between them.
Manziel’s past as a college partygoer is well-documented, but in recent years, he has made efforts to turn his life around. At this stage, taking a dig at him feels unnecessary and outdated. Smart’s remark came across as an unprovoked jab—one that didn’t need to be made.
Texas A&M fans wasted no time calling out the irony of Kirby Smart criticizing someone for off-the-field behavior, especially considering the ongoing issues within Georgia’s own program. Many took to social media to highlight this contradiction, with most responses pointing out the double standard in one way or another.
Given the backlash, Smart may reconsider making comments like this in the future. Taking shots at a player long removed from his college days—especially one as beloved as Johnny Manziel—might not be worth the trouble next time around.
Leave a Reply