Johnny Manziel Impressive at SEC Media Days

He walked into the Hyatt Regency at the Wynfrey as the player we were all waiting to hear from-anxious to see if his calm, cool, exterior would crack under the magnified lights of the 1300 media members on hand in Hoover, Ala.

He was going to tell us why, exactly, he was dismissed from the Manning Passing Academy. And he did.

Manziel started by telling ESPN that his phone battery died and his alarm did not go off, causing him to miss meetings and took full responsibility for it. As he went from room to room, the story never changed; time and time again he told us it was his fault and he accepted responsibility.

He was asked about the JaDeveon Clowney’s comment that the standout defensive end said he would get him if given the chance. Without a hint of hesitation in his voice, with the same fearlessness he showed on the football field.

“I’d come right at him” the Heisman trophy winner said. “I am not scared or intimidated in any shape or form.”

In each room he faced an onslaught of reporters trying to outshout each other for a question with the conference’s most polarizing quarterback since Tim Tebow. Outside there were more cameras than a Hollywood premiere waiting to escort him to his next room where inside there waiting for him were more reporters, more cameras.

He was collected, never changing his energy level as every minute of the extravaganza passed through. As he walked out of the radio room, I was impressed.

He’s 20 years old, he likes to party and take pictures with attractive girls and flaunt it on his social media networks. For some who grew up in the world without social media it seems like arrogance, but as I look at my college days, I did the same things at 20 years old-only on a much lesser scale.

I emphasize much lesser scale. I should emphasize that again for good measure.

At the end of the day people will love him, people will hate him, and some will be completely indifferent. However he’s one of the most dynamic players in college football players today- a fact that will never change because of an Instagram photo or tweet.

What I saw Wednesday morning was a guy that isn’t going to apologize for being 20 years old, and I don’t think its right that we ask him to. Yes, he has a greater responsibility as a face of the sport, but the only thing different from his behavior and that of star players in the past is that someone is always ready to document it., himself included.