Johnny Football

An inside look at one of today’s most compelling athletes and his influence on college football—in Texas and across the nation. It’s no secret that Texas is the capital of legendary football players. From Sammy Baugh to Earl Campbell to Robert Griffin III and scores of others in between, the Lone Star State has produced a heavily decorated list of athletic phenoms—but none has put on a display as explosive and as sudden as that of the kid they call “Johnny Football.” In Johnny Football, Texas sportswriter Mike Shropshire recounts Johnny Manziel’s extraordinary freshman season with Texas A&M in 2012—during which his unparalleled breakout performance made him the first freshman to ever win the illustrious Heisman Trophy—and follows Manziel and the rest of the Aggie squad through the much-hyped 2013 gridiron campaign. In Shropshire’s signature witty, entertaining writing style, the book tells the complete story of an unlikely star who came out of rural obscurity to lead the Aggies to a top-ten ranking in the national polls in 2012 and a victory in the postseason Cotton Bowl. But make no mistake: the tale of “Johnny Football” is larger and deeper than that of one star player. It is the narrative of how a kid from nowhere, with his country-boy values, restored vigor and pride to the Spirit of Aggieland (Gig ’Em!), and this celebration of the A&M faithful and Texas’ gridiron fanaticism is sure to make Johnny Football a treasured tale for years to come.

This title introduces readers to college football sensation Johnny Manziel. Manziel's life story is examined, from his childhood in Texas to his high school football success with the Tivy High School where he went 520 of 819 for 7,626 yards on the way to being named All-State and a Parade All American. Manziel's NCAA career as quarterback for the Texas A&M Aggies is covered, including his 2012 Cotton Bowl victory, 2012 AP Player of the Year award, and 2012 Heisman Trophy. Aligned to Common Core standards and correlated to state standards. Checkerboard Library is an imprint of Abdo Publishing, a division of ABDO.

Higher education and intercollegiate athletics have long had a complicated relationship. Examining the interconnection between the two and from a variety of theoretical and practical angles, this volume highlights many of the debates surrounding higher education and intercollegiate athletics and the financial dependency between these two long-standing entities. Topics include: a comprehensive history of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, an examination of the funding mechanisms utilized by intercollegiate athletic departments, an in-depth magnification of the increasing corporatization of higher education and athletics, and a look into potential future debates and lines of inquiry surrounding this topic. This is the 5th issue of the 41st volume of the Jossey-Bass series ASHE Higher Education Report. Each monograph is the definitive analysis of a tough higher education issue, based on thorough research of pertinent literature and institutional experiences. Topics are identified by a national survey. Noted practitioners and scholars are then commissioned to write the reports, with experts providing critical reviews of each manuscript before publication.

From the best players to the best coaches and some of the most legendary schools and teams in US history, Texas high school football has it all. In the state that made “Friday Night Lights” famous, High School Football in Texas takes an inside look at the state’s greatness in the sport, from the best players when they were in high school to those who’ve gone on to be stars as collegiate players or pros. It’s about record-setters, trend-setters, and some of the most inspirational families and people you’ll ever meet. Some of the players and coaches featured include Mean Joe Greene, Earl Campbell, Andy Dalton, Eric Dickerson, and many more! Covering several generations, this book presents high school football in a manner never done before. Some of the great stories featured recount how future Hall of Famer Drew Brees never got onto the field in his first high school football scrimmage and how Mean Joe Greene wanted to be a running back like Gale Sayers and Jim Brown. High School Football America founder Jeff Fisher mixes amazing anecdotes and interviews with the many who’ve experienced Texas high school football from every imaginable angle.

Playing While White argues that whiteness matters in sports culture, both on and off the field. Offering critical analysis of athletic stars such as Johnny Manziel, Marshall Henderson, Jordan Spieth, Lance Armstrong, Josh Hamilton, as well as the predominantly white cultures of NASCAR and extreme sports, David Leonard identifies how whiteness is central to the commodification of athletes and the sports they play. Leonard demonstrates that sporting cultures are a key site in the trafficking of racial ideas, narratives, and ideologies. He identifies how white athletes are frequently characterized as intelligent leaders who are presumed innocent of the kinds of transgressions black athletes are often pathologized for. With an analysis of the racial dynamics of sports traditions as varied as football, cycling, hockey, baseball, tennis, snowboarding, and soccer, as well as the reception and media portrayals of specific white athletes, Leonard examines how and why whiteness matters within sports and what that tells us about race in the twenty-first century United States.

After an eye-opening first season at Texas A&M, the electrifying young quarterback affectionately known as "Johnny Football" became the first freshman ever to take home the Heisman Trophy in its 78-year history. Here, in perhaps the most revealing account to date, is the story behind the mystique: how young phenom Johnny Manziel escaped from relative obscurity and his dubious family name to—after a storybook, record-breaking season—take home college football's ultimate honor. "I'm a small-town kid," Manziel said before winning the Heisman. "I still look at myself that way. I don't see myself as Johnny Football. I see myself as Johnathan Manziel."

Four weeks after the London Olympics, a bored, jaded and remarkably unsuccessful sports-comedy writer sat down to watch college football for the first time. Little did he know, in twelve months he would trek across the pond and live through a heavy chunk of 2013 season. The destination? An American state that is five times the size of his homeland. During this heart-warming expedition into Aggieland’s spirited maroon seas, he humorously embraces the infamous traditions, pageantry and stark cultural differences that encompass Texas A&M University and college football. Throw in 450 pints of beer, gun wielding Houston gang members and a polarizing Heisman Trophy winner, and you’re still barely scratching the surface of a clueless Brit’s truly unique story.

The definitive guide to the nation's toughest football conference; the Bible of SEC Football, the fascinating history of the nation's toughest football conference told by one of the best storytellers In the business, Dr. Chris Warner. Tailgater’s Guide to SEC Football Volume V – The definitive guide to the history and traditions of the 14 schools of the Southeastern Conference (2020). Contains profiles of great players and coaches, school histories, recipes, famous alumni, where to shop and golf, etc. The Bible of SEC Football. $15.95 Paperback, 320 pages. Synopsis: “Dan Jenkins, author and sportswriter, simply summed up the popularity of the game of football in the South with the following statement: “To Southerners, football is as essential as air conditioning.” The irreplaceable “Voice of the Volunteers” on radio during the 1950’s, George Mooney, once stated, “…No matter where I was broadcasting from, I found the fans in the South to be knowledgeable, fair—and yes, loud and frenzied. They are very proud of their rich football heritage. And they are very proud of their schools, their teams—and the deep pride that goes with being from the South.” Late legendary college football commenter Keith Jackson, in describing the SEC Football experience, once aptly stated that” …there are few instances of alleged entertainment and relaxation that can match a college football game in stirring the deepest flames of partisanship and outright provincialism. And down South you can color that partisanship passionate!” Southeastern Conference Football is the paragon of the college athletic experience. During its storied, 87-year existence, the SEC has evolved into the most impressive league of organized, intercollegiate gridiron competition in the history of the United States. No other Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) conference can boast of the many accolades and attendance records that the SEC currently holds. Furthermore, the Southeastern Conference has produced more All-American football players than any other conference. This book is dedicated to all the Southern people who live for Saturdays in the fall, for those individuals who plan their business and personal engagements around their favorite team’s football schedule; for those who always experience a rise in their body temperature when they enter the stadium; for those who shed a tear during the singing of their alma mater; and especially, for those who know all the words to their school’s fight song. It is for the people who wake up early on Sunday morning after a win so they can read each and every one of the sports columns about the game they witnessed the day before. It is for all those who enjoy good company and good food in the parking lot before the game, as much, and if not more, than the food and company at a fancy restaurant. These things that we hold dear – all true SEC fans know and love, and look forward to each autumn. It’s that time of year when the heated summer temperatures begin to fade and yield to colder days, when the leaves begin to change color, and when the youthful partisan spirit within us all crackles like the kindling of a well-planned winter fire.