Johnny Manziel's impressive college football career came to a close in 2013, and the Texas A&M Heisman winner hasn't played competitive football since 2022, his second year in the Fan Controlled Football League. There are certainly more relevant quarterbacks out there for coaches to use as examples.

That didn't stop Georgia's Kirby Smart from taking a big-time potshot at the Aggies great.

During a presentation at Nike's Coach of the Year clinic, Smart posted an image of four Heisman-winning quarterbacks out of the SEC: Alabama's Bryce Young, LSU's Joe Burrow, Auburn's Cam Newton and Manziel.

“What do these guys have in common? Speak up,” Smart said. “Heisman, that’s a good answer. That’s actually true. They’re definitely quarterbacks. That’s the most elementary thing."

When one attendee called the four players "champions," however, Smart took exception, before acknowledging that, like the other three, Manziel lit up his defense.

“Champions? He ain’t no champion. Champion of what? Champion of Fireball,” Smart joked, referring to the flavored whiskey popular during Manziel's time at Texas A&M. “Alright, alright, alright, alright, I’m gonna go here for you. There’s Heisman. Right? They all had great days vs. our defenses. All four of them when off on us in some way shape or form.”

Manziel certainly flamed out of the NFL, playing just two seasons with the Cleveland Browns after being selected with the No. 22 pick of the 2014 NFL draft. A string of off-field incidents and legal issues ultimately ended his time in the league. He bounced around the Canadian Football League, Alliance of American Football and the FCFL before calling it a career for good.

He did find plenty of head-to-head success against Smart's defenses during his college career though. Manziel threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns while running for another 92 yards in the Aggies' 29–24 upset of No. 1 Alabama, which employed Smart as defensive coordinator, a performance that helped vault him to a Heisman win the following month.

Alabama got the best of Manziel and Texas A&M the following year, though it came in a 49–42 shootout. Manziel threw for 464 yards—his career high—with five touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss, adding 98 yards on the ground.

Manziel hasn't responded to the barb thus far.


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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Georgia's Kirby Smart Takes Massive Shot at Johnny Manziel During Nike Coaching Clinic.