Dec 31, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) warms-up prior to facing the Duke Blue Devils in the 2013 Chick-fil-a Bowl at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Will a swoosh be added to the Johnny Football brand?
On Wednesday, Manziel met Nike executives in Oregon, according to Matthew Kish of the Portland Business Journal, starting speculation that Manziel might be the latest athlete to endorse Nike as his official on-the-field sponsor, per Mike Florio of NBC Sports.
While pre-draft brand agreements aren’t anything new in this age of sports, Manziel is especially intriguing because he seems very interested in the business aspect of his career (insert autograph joke here). However, he may be onto something, as a deal with Nike could prove to be significantly more lucrative than his rookie contract. Too bad the name Johnny Cash is already taken.
The possible first overall pick, every detail of Manziel’s life has become newsworthy lately, including yesterday’s news about the Houston Texans following him on Twitter. It shouldn’t be surprising though, Manziel in 2013 was one of the most scrutinized athletes in sports, and yet he was only in college. It’s also no surprise that he was one of the only college athletes ever to have a verified Twitter account.
Leading up to May’s draft, the scrutiny will continue to grow, and as of right now, it looks like Johnny Football is worrying as much about Johnny as he is about football.