Johnny Manziel

Former NBA player Greg Oden spent the 2013-14 season with the Miami Heat, getting a front-row seat to the superstar trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

And James, in particular, left an indelible mark on the former center.

"I still talk about this," Oden said during an appearance on Johnny Manziel's Glory Daze show with Almost Friday Media. "I saw LeBron James guard somebody with the ball in the left corner. They threw a pass at the top of the key and to the right corner and didn't even hold it. Just a quick pass. LeBron James was right there when that ball got to that other corner and I was like, 'This is the best player on the planet right now.' And he's actually playing defense like that. ... I played in that game where he got like 63 points. That motherf--ker was a creative player. Like look, I am a Michael Jordan guy, I swear to god, but LeBron James on the Miami Heat is the greatest player to ever play the game of basketball."

Oden also spoke about what it was like to play in a city like Miami, famous for its night life.

"Scary," he said as Manziel laughed (26:54 mark]. "The number one thing I said when I got with the Miami Heat was, 'Don't get in trouble.' Me and Michael Beasley, literally that was our thing. We would hang out probably five nights out of the week. Because we were like, 'We can't get in trouble in Miami. We're on this team. We're going to make it to the f--king finals. We're going to get a ring. Just don't f--k it up." ... I definitely tried to stay away from South Beach though because being on that team, it felt it meant a little bit more and I wasn't going to be the one to mess that up, especially after two championships."

Oden, 36, was the first overall selection in the 2007 NBA draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, famously going one pick before Kevin Durant. But his career was marred by injuries and he ultimately only played in 105 career games, including 23 contests for Miami.

Despite being on his best behavior, Oden's time with the Heat didn't end with a ring—the Heat lost in five games to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, and that summer James returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Oden never played in another NBA game, but he certainly went out on a memorable note.

Johnny Manziel knows a thing or two about pulling off a prime-time upset against a top-ranked Alabama team, having done so back in 2012 during his time at Texas A&M.

So it was only fitting that Manziel surprised Diego Pavia—who helped orchestrate Vanderbilt's shocking defeat of Alabama this past weekend—during an appearance on ESPN's College Football Live Wednesday:

"Man, what an awesome game," Manziel said. "So fun to watch, bro. Couldn't be happier for you. Sitting there watching the whole thing play out, has to feel like maybe 2012 for me. Appreciate you showing me a lot of love. I hope I get the chance to come on here and show you the same thing."

Pavia threw for 252 yards and two touchdowns in the win, adding 56 rushing yards. Those numbers were eerily similar to Manziel's stat line in his own win against Alabama—253 yards and two touchdowns through the air, 92 yards on the ground.

"I'm gonna try to make it out and come see you guys in Nashville for sure, man," Manziel said when Pavia told him he hoped to see him at a Vandy game this season. "You guys have been on a heck of a run this season. Hopefully you're able to continue that on."

Former Texas A&M and Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel is continuing to grow his presence in sports media.

Manziel is launching "Glory Daze," a weekly podcast series produced in partnership with Almost Friday Media and set to debut this fall.

The interviews will focus on "the best throwback stories in sports," according to a teaser trailer released on Manziel's YouTube channel.

The podcast will feature Manziel "interviewing sports legends as they reminisce on some of the most remarkable moments and eras in sports," according to a press release (h/t Awful Announcing's Andrew Bucholtz).

Manziel will also be joining Action Network's Big Bets on Campus podcast for the 2024 season, when he is scheduled to appear on Tuesday and Friday episodes.

The former Heisman Trophy winner made his debut on the podcast on Aug. 30.

Manziel became the first college freshman to win the Heisman after he eclipsed 5,000 total yards of offense for Texas A&M during the Aggies' first SEC season in 2012.

After he was selected with the No. 22 pick in the 2014 NFL draft, Manziel played in 14 games for the Browns between 2014 and 2015.

Following his NFL career, Manziel played in other leagues including the CFL, Alliance of American Football and Fan Controlled Football.

With ESPN's College Gameday setting up camp at College Station for the showdown between Notre Dame and Texas A&M this weekend, it's only fitting that Aggies legend Johnny Manziel gets the call to be the celebrity guest picker.

Manziel announced on Thursday that he will be joining Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Nick Saban and Desmond Howard on set to pick the Week 1 games in college football.

Manziel will be the second celebrity guest picker of the season. WWE superstar Sheamus joined the crew in Ireland last week for the Georgia Tech-Florida State matchup to make picks.

College Gameday is making its first trip to College Station since 2018 when the Aggies were hosting No. 2 Clemson. This weekend will see No. 20 Texas A&M looking to pull off an upset against No. 7 Notre Dame.

Saturday marks the first meeting between the Aggies and Fighting Irish since 2001. Notre Dame has a slight 3-2 edge in the all-time series between the two programs.

Maniel is one of the best quarterbacks Texas A&M has ever had. He ranks third all-time in passing yards (7,820) and passing touchdowns (63) in 26 starts over two seasons in 2012 and 2013.

Johnny Football became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy when he received the award in 2012. He also won the Davey O'Brien Award and SEC Offensive Player of the Year that same season.

The worst-kept secret in celebrity dating news has finally been made public with former Johnny Manziel and Josie Canseco, daughter of former AL MVP Jose Canseco, confirming they are dating.

Per TMZ Sports, Manziel and Canseco simultaneously posted pictures on their Instagram stories "showing them wrapped in each other's arms" during Morgan Wallen's performance at Stagecoach over the weekend.

Rumblings about the couple being an item began earlier this month when Canseco posted a picture to her Instagram story showing her feet propped on Manziel's legs when they were on a flight together.

TMZ noted on April 5 that Canseco posted a video on social media at a dinner event in New York City in which she was by Manziel's side.

Canseco is a model and social-media influencer who previously worked the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in 2018.

The 2012 Heisman winner at Texas A&M, Manziel was a first-round NFL draft pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2014. He appeared in 15 games over two seasons in the NFL before being released in March 2016.

Manziel had stints in the CFL with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Montreal Alouettes, as well as the Alliance of American Football as a member of the San Antonio Commanders.

Most recently, Manziel played Fan Controlled Football from 2021 to '22.

After the Heisman Trust reportedly agreed to return Reggie Bush's Heisman Trophy on Wednesday, the former USC star running back received support from another Heisman winner.

Johnny Manziel took to social media to praise the Heisman Trust for its decision and offer some kind words to Bush, saying, "You deserve it."

Manziel had declared last month that he would no longer attend Heisman Trophy ceremonies until Bush's award was returned to him. Manziel, the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy in 2012, also said on Shannon Sharpe's podcast Club Shay Shay that he believed the NCAA's decision was hypocritical in the wake of the new NIL rules that allow college athletes to be compensated.

"What Reggie did then is legal now that somebody could do, right?" Manziel said. "It wouldn't make him ineligible now, even though it did at the time. And in the grand scheme of things, I probably did way worse than Reggie."

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that the Heisman Trust is planning to announce a formal "reinstatement" of Bush's 2005 Heisman Trophy on Wednesday amid what it called "enormous changes in the college football landscape."

Bush was forced to forfeit his Heisman Trophy in 2010 following unprecedented sanctions levied against USC for multiple violations, which included Bush receiving improper benefits while he attended the university from 2003 to 2005.

Not only will Bush be receiving his trophy, but a replica will also be sent to USC. The 39-year-old will also get to participate in future Heisman Trophy ceremonies, starting with the 2024 season.

"Personally, I'm thrilled to reunite with my fellow Heisman winners and be a part of the storied legacy of the Heisman Trophy, and I'm honored to return to the Heisman family," Bush said in a statement. "I also look forward to working together with the Heisman Trust to advance the values and mission of the organization."

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans sees some parallels between Baker Mayfield and a quarterback who helped to put him on the map in college.

The five-time Pro Bowler said on TexAgs Radio (via JoeBucsFan.com) that Mayfield is "really similar" to Aggies legend Johnny Manziel in terms of his playing style.

"So it was easy to adjust to play with him," Evans said. "Shorter quarterback. Great athlete. Throws like a baseball player, like really tight spiral. Really good arm. Improvise, can do all those things. Super tough. So I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do this year."

The comparisons between Mayfield and Manziel started before the former had even hit the NFL and weren't exclusively tied to their respective skill sets. Once Mayfield landed on Manziel's former team, the Cleveland Browns, the two became inextricably linked.

Evans' comments could help to explain why Mayfield enjoyed a bounce-back year after signing with the Bucs. Evans appeared to have a sense of familiarity with his quarterback despite the fact they'd never been on the same team before, and enjoying such a strong rapport with your No. 1 wideout can go a long way for a QB.

The results spoke for themselves. Mayfield set career highs in passing yards (4,044) and touchdowns (28), while Evans tallied 1,255 receiving yards and an NFL-high 13 touchdown grabs.

The tandem won't be breaking up anytime soon after both agreed to new contracts to secure their return to Tampa Bay.

If the Arena Football League gets its way, Johnny Manziel will be dusting off his cleats when the new season begins.

AFL commissioner Lee Hutton III told TMZ Sports he's personally sent direct message to Manziel to gauge his interest in joining the league.

"I reached out to Johnny Manziel," Hutton said. "So, Johnny, I'm a Texas guy. So, if you're ready to come back and indoors—because you did very well—we will take you. We will find a spot for you."

The third iteration of the AFL is set to launch in April. The league most recently played a season in 2019 before ceasing all operations after filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

F1 Sports & Entertainment purchased the rights to the AFL in January 2022. One year later, the league announced a relaunch with plans to formally play games starting in 2024.

The original AFL ran for 22 seasons from 1987 to 2008 before folding in 2009 due to financial and leadership issues.

There are going to be a total of 16 teams playing in the new Arena Football League. This will be the most teams the league has had in a single season 2012 when there were 17.

Manziel most recently played in the Fan Controlled Football league in 2022. He also had stints in the Canadian Football League and Alliance of American Football after his NFL career ended.

The 31-year-old Manziel was a superstar in college at Texas A&M. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2012, becoming just the second Aggies player ever to capture the honor.

Manziel was a first-round draft pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2014. His NFL career lasted just two seasons before he was released by the club in March 2016.

The 2024 AFL season begins on April 27.

Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel called for the NCAA to return the Heisman Trophy to former USC running back Reggie Bush on Saturday.

In a pair of posts on X, Manziel wrote that he will no longer attend the Heisman Trophy ceremony until and unless Bush gets his Heisman Trophy back:

Bush surrendered his Heisman Trophy in 2010 after an NCAA investigation determined that he and his family received improper benefits during his time as a player at USC, including cash, travel expenses and a home in San Diego.

Many regard Bush as one of the most electric players in college football history, and the best season of his collegiate career undoubtedly came in 2005.

Bush rushed for 1,740 yards and 16 touchdowns on 200 carries, and averaged a remarkable 8.7 yards per carry. He also had 37 receptions for 478 yards and two touchdowns, and he returned a punt for a touchdown.

He was the runaway winner of the Heisman Trophy that year with only Texas quarterback Vince Young coming anywhere close.

Bush went on to be the No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints, and he enjoyed an 11-year NFL career with the Saints, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills, winning one Super Bowl in New Orleans.

However, Bush had to give up his Heisman Trophy five years after he won it, and multiple attempts to get it back have been rebuffed.

Back in 2021, a Supreme Court ruling decided that student-athletes would be allowed to profit off their name, image and likeness. The new NIL rules provided some hope that Bush would be welcomed back into the fold as a recognized Heisman winner and would get his hardware back.

Instead, the NCAA announced that the NIL rules would not have any bearing on retroactively reversing penalties.

Manziel, 31, took the college football world by storm during his time at Texas A&M, winning the Heisman as a freshman in 2012 when he threw for 3,706 yards, 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions, while also rushing for 1,410 yards and 21 scores.

The Cleveland Browns took Manziel with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft, but he never panned out, as he was out of the league after two seasons.

Still, Johnny Football is a celebrated figure in the history of college football, and his word could potentially carry some weight.

Based on how steadfast the NCAA has been in its stance on Bush, however, something significant will have to change in order for Bush to get back in good graces.