Mike Stoops on Manziel: ‘If they keep him out of jail… he’ll be pretty good’

By John TaylorJan 11, 2013, 6:37 PM EST

Yep, he went there.

In the Cotton Bowl a week ago, Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel ripped the Oklahoma defense to the tune of 516 yards and four touchdowns as the Aggies throttled the Sooners 41-13. The man whose defense was charged with stopping or at least slowing down the 2012 Heisman winner was sufficiently impressed with what he witnessed last Friday night.

“Never seen anything like that,” OU’s Mike Stoops said during a radio interview this evening, as transcribed by Tulsa World‘s John Hoover. “Never felt as defenseless as we were the other night, that’s for sure.”

As is ofttimes the case, though, the loquacious Stoops, brother of head coach Bob Stoops, couldn’t help himself as he tossed out some words of wisdom/caution for head coach Kevin Sumlin and his Aggies coaching staff.

Said the defensive coordinator, “If they can keep (Manziel) out of jail or keep him eligible, he’s gonna be pretty good.”

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Manziel, of course, was arrested back in late June for disorderly conduct and possessing a fake identification. Many thought the incident had derailed Manziel’s shot at A&M’s starting job; instead, he won it a month a half later and went on to a record-breaking regular season capped by becoming the first freshman — redshirt or otherwise — to win a Heisman.

Whether or not Stoops’ comment was a shot at the off-field incident is not exactly clear — OK, it was. Stoops, though, wasn’t done as, in addition to expressing concern about future incarceration, he also delved deeper into the eligibility issue

“If they can keep him off the Twitter, he might have 3-4 Heismans,” Stoops said. “He’ll have that type of ability.”

(Writer’s note: forget it, he’s rolling)

That’s apparently in reference to some pictures posted by Manziel to his Twitter account in the aftermath of the blowout win over the Sooners. In the photos, the underage Manziel is seen holding a bottle of Dom Perignon as well as fanning out a wad of money (pictured, above right) that he apparently won while at a casino. The photos set of a laughable mini-firestorm of controversy as some accused the quarterback of bending or outright breaking NCAA bylaws.

In response to that particular controversy, Manziel sent out a tweet earlier today that read “Great visit to the hospital today in Connecticut made a ton of new friends. Hopefully this picture passes compliance” and included the following photo:

Well played, Johnny Football. Well played.

Good to see that there’s at least one person with class in this post…

Utah State player upgraded to fair condition after collapse

Associated PressMar 25, 2023, 1:50 AM EDT

Stephen Lew/Getty Images

Utah State redshirt freshman wide receiver Josh Davis is in fair condition on Friday, one day after collapsing at spring football practice following sudden cardiac arrest, the university announced.

Davis, initially was listed in critical condition, was breathing on his own. He is in the intensive-care unit at McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah.

Davis’ parents arrived in Utah on Thursday evening.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Davis, who is from Carlsbad, California, collapsed at Merlin Olsen Field and was immediately treated by the training staff, the university said. He was taken to Logan Regional Hospital.

The university said Davis was stabilized in the Logan hospital before being moved to Ogden.

Alabama suspends freshman defensive back after drug arrest

Associated PressMar 20, 2023, 10:32 PM EDT

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama freshman defensive back Tony Mitchell has been suspended from the team following his arrest on a drug charge.

Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said Monday after the first practice of spring that Mitchell was suspended from the team “and all team activities until we gather more information about the situation and what his legal circumstance is.”

The Holmes County Sheriff’s Office arrested Mitchell and another man, Christophere Lewis, last week on a charge of possession of marijuana with the intent to sell or deliver, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page. Lewis also was charged with carrying a concealed gun without a permit.

“Everybody’s got an opportunity to make choices and decisions,” Saban said. “There’s no such thing as being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You’ve gotta be responsible for who you’re with, who you’re around and what you do, who you associate yourself with and the situations that you put yourself in. It is what it is, but there is cause and effect when you make choices and decisions that put you in bad situations.”

Mitchell, who is from Alabaster, Alabama, was a five-star prospect rated the 34th-best player and No. 3 safety in the 247Composite rankings.

Mitchell was driving the vehicle during a traffic stop. After deputies smelled marijuana, Mitchell picked up a baggie of marijuana from the passenger floorboard, according to the department’s Facebook post.

Sheriff’s deputies found “an additional significant amount of marijuana, a set of scales, a loaded handgun between the passenger seat and center console, and a large amount of cash,” according to the department’s Facebook post.