Johnny Football

courtesy bostonherald.com

The college football regular season has finally come to a close and it has been an interesting season with some very huge surprises. 

The number one team in the nation, right now, is Notre Dame.  12-0 and hearkening back memories of 1988 and showing everyone that defense ultimately wins championships.  Their success has been driven by pressure defense and no one represented this better than their team and emotional leader Manti Te'o.

What a season he and the Irish had.  On a usual year he would be the overwhelming story and could have been the first defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy.

This, though, has not been a typical season.

This season was highlighted by a redshirt freshman quarterback from Texas A&M named Johnny Manziel. 

A.K.A.  Johnny Football. 

The season's "best player" was crowned as the Heisman Trophy winner Saturday evening and became the first freshman to be named to such an honor.  This is the first of what could be a plethora of collegiate awards for this very talented young man.

During his speech he thanked all the right people and even cracked a few jokes to his grandparents.  He was very personable and seemed mature beyond his years.  The very qualities he used to out gain every other player in the SEC, arguably the countries toughest conference.

This was his first year starting as a quarterback in college.  This was Texas A&M's first go around in the murderer's row of the SEC.  This was the first season for Coach Sumlin in a new conference.

It was a season of questions.  And Johnny Football had all the answers.

He is not the biggest quarterback to grace a backfield.  He just over six feet tall and listed at 200 pounds.  He reminds me a lot of Doug Flutie, a fellow Heisman winner.   What he lacks in stature he makes up for in heart.  The firey kid never gives up.   

He came into this season with something to prove.  He had to prove to himself he could play at the highest level.  He had to prove to his teammates he was able to be a leader at such a young age.  He had to prove to the rest of the SEC that A&M football is going to be heard from right out of the gate.

He was able to do just that.

This season he gained over 4500 yards of total offense and broke, current Carolina Panther QB, Cam Newton's record for which he used as his basis for winning the Heisman trophy just two years ago.

His combination of a powerfully accurate arm and elusive legs made him treat defenses like children.  Even though he looks like a child himself.  The age and experience of this young man doesn't matter in today's game.  Players are taking the reigns of programs and having great success like never before.

You have seen this, obviously, with Johnny Football in college and also this season in the NFL.  Quarterbacks like Andrew Luck, RGIII, Russell Wilson, and Colin Kaepernick are poised, confident, and ready to take your heart and show it to your face.

They are the new breed.  The New World Order, if you will.

Johnny Football is only a freshman and was just awarded the most prestigious award in college football.  The scary thought is he has potentially three more years to show the world what he has to offer.

Only Ohio State's Archie Griffin, left, has won the Heisman Trophy twice.  Who knows if there is room on the mantle for another one or two or three for good ol' Johnny Football.  

If he can produce stats and wins similar to his signature moment this year against Alabama the possibilities are endless.  The consensus of college football experts felt Alabama was close to invincible and he slayed that dragon.  You better get used to this young man and his nickname because you are going to be hearing it alot for the next few years.

You thought people were enamored and or sick of hearing about Tim Tebow.  This kid could surpass him by leaps and bounds.

If he is able to continue Texas A&M's rise in the SEC and if he is able to produce a national championship for the Aggies he will become a Texas State Icon.

This kid from Kerrville, Texas is on a path to potentially be considered one of the greatest college football players of all time.  This is the road he is on after winning an award like the Heisman at such an early age.

Hopefully he remains grounded and keeps his head straight.  If he can keep his eye on the prize we could be witnessing a very special time in college athletics.  He may very well be on the verge of dominating the sport and adding to his legacy.

Unless...

There is some High School kid out there reading all of Johnny Football's press clippings and is just dying to show the world what he can do. 

And that is the beauty of sports.  And the beauty of the age of sport we live in today.

Just when you think who have the best player out there on the field.  There is another player stepping up to the challenge.  

There is always someone coming up just itching for an opportunity to knock the king off the mountain.

Who knows?

It just might be you!