Johnathan Paul Manziel ( man-ZEL; born December 6, 1992) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons with the Cleveland Browns. Nicknamed "Johnny Football", he was the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, receiving the award with the Texas A&M Aggies in 2012. Manziel also played professionally in the Canadian Football League (CFL), the Alliance of American Football (AAF), and Fan Controlled Football (FCF). After being redshirted in 2011, Manziel became the Aggies' starter during his freshman season and set several FBS and SEC records en route to a victory in the 2013 Cotton Bowl Classic. In addition to winning the Heisman, he was the first freshman to receive the Manning and Davey O'Brien awards. He was also named SEC Male Athlete of the Year in 2013. Following his sophomore year, Manziel declared for the NFL. Manziel was selected by the Browns in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft, but his tenure was marked by inconsistent play and off-field controversies, leading to his release ahead of the 2016 season. He pursued a comeback in 2018 with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Montreal Alouettes of the CFL before being banned from the league the following year for violating his contract. Shortly after his CFL release, Manziel joined the Memphis Express of the AAF, appearing in two games until the AAF suspended operations. Manziel last played professionally in FCF for the Zappers from 2021 to 2022. 2012 Heisman Trophy · Texas A&M · QB Wiki link