As it turned out, the 2012 college football season was a hugely successful one for the Texas A&M Aggies. It was also a season to remember for the team’s redshirt freshman quarterback: Johnny Manziel. The Aggies finished with an 11-2 record and scored a pair of headline-grabbing victories over then-No. 1 ranked Alabama, 29-24, on Nov. 10 in Tuscaloosa, as well as in the 2013 Cotton Bowl Classic on Jan. 4 over No. 12 ranked Oklahoma, 41-13. When all the dust had settled, Texas A&M finished No. 5 in the AP Poll and throughout the Aggies’ best season in 56 years, there was one constant: “Johnny Football” Manziel could throw, run and score with equal efficiency.
His first game was supposed to be against Louisiana Tech in Shreveport, Louisiana on Aug. 30 but the game was postponed due to Hurricane Isaac hitting the Louisiana coast two days prior to game time. Consequently, Manziel's college football debut was played on Sept. 8 against the Florida Gators before a home crowd of 87,114 at A&M’s Kyle Field. The game was a seesaw battle that saw Florida prevail, 20-17. Manziel finished the game completing 23 of 30 passes for 173 yards and no touchdowns. He also led the Aggies in rushing with 60 yards on 17 carries. While it was a promising start, the Aggies’ new QB was just getting warmed up.
The performance that initially drew national attention to Manziel occurred against the Arkansas Razorbacks on Sept. 29. In the game, won by the Aggies, 58-10, Manziel broke Archie Manning's 43-year-old total offense record by logging 557 yards. Two games later, Manziel surpassed his own total offense record against Louisiana Tech by posting 576 yards. After Texas A&M's 63-21 blowout of Auburn on Oct. 27, Manziel began showing up in national Heisman Watch lists.
His flashy style of play was launched into the national spotlight after he led the Aggies to a 29–24 upset over No. 1 ranked Alabama on Nov. 10. In that game, Manziel accounted for 345 of A&M's 418 yards of offense including two passing touchdowns. In the weeks that followed, Manziel became the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy.
On Nov. 24 playing against the Missouri Tigers before a home crowd of 87,222, Manziel left the game early with a knee injury late in the first quarter. He returned for the next series of downs wearing a knee brace and finished the game with 439 yards of total offense including three touchdown passes and two more rushing TDs. During the game, he broke the single-season record for offensive production in the SEC with 4,600 yards, surpassing both Auburn’s Cam Newton and Florida’s Tim Tebow.
Manziel also became the first freshman to pass for more than 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards in a season, reaching that mark two games earlier than any other player. He finished the season with 3,706 yards passing and 26 touchdowns to go along with 1,410 yards on the ground and 21 rushing TDs. He won both the SEC Freshman of the Year Award and the College Football Performance National Freshman of the Year Award. Manziel went on to win the Davey O'Brien Award on December 6 and the Heisman Memorial Trophy on December 8, making him the first college freshman ever to win either award.
This Adidas, size medium, Texas A&M maroon home jersey was worn by Manziel in six games during his freshman campaign (Florida, South Carolina State, Arkansas, LSU, Sam Houston State and Missouri). The jersey, which has been photo-matched, shows plenty of game-action wear and scrapes and even includes multiple team repairs in areas where the jersey was torn or frayed from all the punishment it sustained during Manziel's electrifying run to the Heisman. The jersey includes a white tackle twill No. 2 on the front and back as well as Manziel’s nameplate sewn across the shoulders. Manziel’s autograph and #2 signed in silver Sharpie across the back can be found underneath the uniform No. 2 and are followed by several inscriptions he wrote that read: “Gig Em, Game Used 2012, Freshman Year, Heisman 2012, 3,706 Pass Yd’s, 26 Pass TD’s, 1410 Rush Yd’s, 21 Rush TD’s, Johnny Football, SEC Offensive Player of the Year.” This is the one and only game worn jersey offered publicly from Johnny Football’s legendary college career.
Includes a letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA.