Johnny Manziel Says He Would've 'Stayed In College Longer' Had NIL Existed

With the astronomical rise of name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals amongst college athletes, many football players have seen themselves receiving extensive financial gain, even before they reach the professional level.

With as much as the young stars are reeling in, you can only wonder how much college football stars in past decades would have made under today's statutes.

Among those you might wonder about is former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.

"I Would've Taken A Pay Cut"

He wasn't called "Money Manziel" for no reason.

After all, he was even suspended for the first half of the 2013 season opener against the Rice Owls after allegedly receiving payment for an autograph session earlier in the year.

But the quarterback out of Kerrville, TX believes that had NIL deals been around in the early 2010s, when he was playing in College Station, he would've made much more than he did in the NFL, and he would have stayed at A&M longer as well.

"I would have taken a pay cut had I gone to the NFL," Manziel told Greg McElroy in an interview. "I think no matter what, being in the NIL era, if that would have been the equivalent of 2013, I would have stayed no matter what. Just because a couple million bucks in College Station goes a really, really long way. And you go to the NFL, you're a first-round pick, you sign for $10 million or whatever it is, that's the two years that I had remaining at Texas A&M, to be able to make through an NIL deal."

"So, I think for me, when I think back about it now, if there had been any real money involved, I definitely would have stayed there no matter what."

As we all know, Manziel's professional career was none like his time on the field in College Station.

After being drafted 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2014 NFL Draft, Manziel's tumultuous time, including off-the-field issues that carried over from college, resulted in him being released not even two years into his contract.

And after equally forgettable years in the Canadian Football League with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Montreal Alouettes, and also in the short-lived Alliance of American Football, Manziel quietly retreated from the game of football, but is still seen at many Texas A&M athletic events both in College Station and on the road.

But the "what if" game could be played with "Johnny Football" all day, especially regarding NIL deals, and if his career had shaped out better had he been properly compensated for his elite play on the gridiron.