Johnny Manziel happy about NIL changes, athletes' new money-making opportunities
Johnny Manziel acknowledged last month in an interview with Barstool Sports that he made thousands of dollars for covertly autographing items just weeks after he won the Heisman Trophy with Texas A&M.
That would have been a big no-no had it been substantiated back then. Now a combination of recently enacted state laws and the NCAA's standing down allows college athletes to make money from their name, image and likeness — getting paid to sign autographs being just one example.
Instead of lamenting that the sea change came a decade too late in his case, Manziel says he's happy to see the landmark developments.
Perhaps few college athletes in recent history stood to profit more from their name, image and likeness than the dazzling Aggies quarterback whose derring-do and Johnny Football persona captivated college football watchers.
If only the newly opened NIL avenues had been available to him.
"If it was, it could've been great," Manziel said, "but what I like about what's going on right now is what it's giving the guys in the future. Maybe even in my day it brought up the discussion to get it to where it is now, so that's a positive thing. I want guys to be able to go in and do this in college."
Manziel, 28, was in Lubbock, Texas, in late June to play in a golf tournament.
Now he's living in Scottsdale, Arizona, "playing golf, living life, happy as I've ever been." He's also interested by the new developments in college sports.
"In my day and time in college," he said, "there was, especially with a school like A&M — and this is what we'll see moving forward, schools with very good community support and people around the school — I think there was a huge opportunity to make a lot of money there. And the autographs is just one thing.
"I still think that goes for college guys moving forward. I think that'll be a very, very profitable thing, that guys will get approached by people — which happens already, regardless of what's recently been ruled.
"But I think it's good to put some money in these guys' pockets. It's no fun when you're on a $600 stipend check every month and sometimes getting through the month struggling to get by on a couple ... maybe 100 bucks. So it's trending in the right direction, I'm glad that it happened and I'm glad that it's gotten to this point from where it was."
Manziel foresees college athletes being able to supplement their income possibly incentivizing some to stay in school.
"You see it all the time: There was no shortage of people not having their lights on at the end of the month in college and waiting a couple of days until your direct deposit finally hits," he said. "For the guys who really know what it's like for some of these dudes who go to college and play football and how hard it really is, especially in now's day and age, hopefully what they get goes up a little bit.
"At the end of the day, it's tight. You're a college kid and a lot of people leave early because they don't have enough money to get by and they're tired of the struggle, so they go (pro) maybe a year early. Maybe this (monetization via NIL) puts some people in a position to stick around a little while and do some stuff and play four years at a university."
Those opposed to the NIL movement to benefit college athletes often point out what they reap already: Scholarships that give them a chance to graduate debt free, as well as access to nutritious meals, tutoring, medical care, weight training and multi-million-dollar sports facilities, the tab picked up by their athletics departments.
A valid argument, Manziel says, but he takes the other side.
"There's always two ways to look at it," he said, "and there's always people that say, 'We put our (general student body) kids through college, and we pay a lot of money, and this is what it is.' But it also pays to have a gift, and it pays to be good something. You have to develop that talent, still go to class and do your stuff and take care of business.
"So is it a very good thing and a blessing for most of the guys who come in? Absolutely. Nobody's arguing that. What's wrong with more? For guys who bring a lot to campuses and guys who bring a lot to the university itself.
"I feel like I made a forever-lasting impact on Texas A&M. I feel like you could say the same thing about Reggie Bush or Vince Young or a ton of guys down the line. (Texas Tech's) Graham Harrell, Michael Crabtree, you think those guys wouldn't have made some money back in their day, too?
"There's guys out there who move the needle, who do special things, who are going to have a chance to capitalize on it monetarily-wise."
Manziel said Texas Tech can be one of the winners in the NIL era.
"I think there's a great fan base in Lubbock," he said. "I think there's a lot of very good local businesses that, depending on how the image and likeness goes, you can take care of your guys now and you can take care of guys in a way where they stay a couple of extra years and play college football."
In May 2017, a month after the Kansas City Chiefs drafted Patrick Mahomes II, a West Texas auto dealership announced a promotional partnership with the former Tech quarterback. Mahomes' celebrity status skyrocketed as he became an NFL MVP and a Super Bowl champion, and the commercials are still running locally.
Though not referencing Mahomes, Manziel wondered why a car dealership wouldn't want to use "a local college student" in its marketing.
"I think they deserve to be able to go out and make money," Manziel said. "Every other person gets to go out and make as much as they want. If you're in college, you can work a job and go to school. Why can't I play sports, go to school and still have a job and make money?
"So it's going to change the landscape. The ultimate question for the whole thing with the NCAA is how do you make it fair? And also is the NCAA going to tuck its tail and just kind of go away in this fight? It's not necessarily their MO."