Column: Johnny Football deserves a break

I distinctly remember the first time I heard this newly coined nickname.

Late in the evening of Oct. 13, 2012, “Johnny Football” began appearing as a trending topic on Twitter, which sent my brain into rapid think-mode in the hopes of linking the nickname with a face.

Typically priding myself on my quick knowledge of anything sports-related, I felt ashamed to know that an unknown budding celebrity was on the verge of a national popularity explosion.

Indeed, the overnight celebrity born was Johnny “Football” Manziel, at the time a redshirt freshman hailing from Kerrville, Texas.

His stardom was born of a herculean performance on the gridiron, as Manziel accounted for 576 total yards of offense and six touchdowns in a thrilling 59-57 victory at Louisiana Tech on that October evening.

But what should be noted about Manziel is his overnight stardom and fame were never requested or asked for by the small town, 20-year-old quarterback.

Ranked as a 3-star recruit per rivals.com, Manziel didn’t make any headlines during his recruitment, other than quietly de-committing from Oregon in favor of the new regime at Texas A&M.

But after a collection of explosive performances earned Manziel the Heisman Trophy, he was directly under the harsh microscope that is life as a college football celebrity, particularly in the football-crazed Southeastern Conference.

And in the Twitter age, any tweet posted by a celebrity is pored over and dissected by fans and media personnel, oftentimes bordering on psychotic over-analyzation.

Manziel knows a thing or two about the world’s most actively used social media site, as he claims more followers than the Twitter accounts of Texas A&M University, Texas A&M Football and his head coach, Kevin Sumlin, combined.

So when Manziel tweeted, “Bullshit like tonight is a reason why I can’t wait to leave college station...whenever it may be,” on June 16, anyone with a vested interest in the Heisman-winning quarterback rushed to speculation and judgment.

Wouldn’t they feel so utterly stupid if they knew that it has since been reported by the San Antonio Express-News that Manziel’s angry tweet was in reference to a parking ticket he had received that evening?

The question I ask is simple: Is Manziel, unlike any other college student, not allowed to freely express his normal, everyday thoughts via social media?

It would be an entirely different situation altogether if Manziel tweeted something inappropriate or offensive, but the fact remains that he didn’t and never has. Being a college student myself, I empathize with Manziel’s frustration with his parking ticket and the desire to vent about it (I’m looking at you, IU Parking Services).

Is it so wrong for Manziel to desire the same right to express himself as any other 20-year-old would? And without the rapid overreactions of people who don’t even know him?

Next time you consider attacking a person such as Manziel because of something so trivial as a simple tweet, remember that you’re the problem.

­— ckillore@indiana.edu