Johnny Manziel reacts after being named starting QB for CFL's Montreal Alouettes
Johnny Football sounds excited about making his first CFL start
By
John Breech
•
3 min read
It's been more than two years since Johnny Manziel played against any serious football competition, but that's going to change on Friday, when Johnny Football takes the field for the first start of his CFL career.
Manziel, who was officially named the starter for the Montreal Alouettes on Tuesday, is excited about his new job for one big reason: He's getting more reps.
"It's good to be back in here," Manziel said, via ESPN.com. "I felt like the thing I've been missing, even over the course of this year and a couple years, is reps. And as you guys have seen the last couple days, a chance to get with the (first-team) and get some reps is what I feel like I really need and what I've talked to a lot of people about."
The former Browns quarterback, who last started an NFL game in December 2015, said that he's excited for the chance to start in Montreal's game on Friday against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
"So I feel very blessed to be in this position, to be back in a situation where I'm starting again," Manziel said. "It's good. It's a quick turnaround. But at the same time, I'm excited for the opportunity."
Although Manziel is excited to play, he admitted that he's not 100 percent familiar with the Alouettes' offense yet. By the time Friday's game kicks off, the 25-year-old will have been with the team for only 12 days.
"I think there's some good things; there's some good flashes," Manziel said. "Football's a game of inches and little things and little mishaps that can make a play go awry."
Manziel was sent to Montreal as part of a midseason trade between the Alouettes and Tiger-Cats.
"We're just trying to clean up the little detail things that I think we're missing here that we'll get on top of and hopefully be able to go out and perform," Manziel said. "But I'm still learning it as we go, and I feel fortunate enough to be going against a defense that I've seen more than any other defense since I've been in the CFL."
As Manziel said, he'll be going up against a defense he's seen before and that's because he spent the first part of the CFL season on the Tiger-Cats' roster. Manziel signed with the team in May and then spent two months with Hamilton before being traded. One other advantage working in Manziel's favor is the fact that Montreal's coach is Mike Sherman, who also coached Manziel in college.
Although the game on Friday will be Manziel's first regular-season start, he does have some CFL experience under his belt. During two brief preseason appearances with Hamilton, Manziel wasn't bad, as he completed 21 of 31 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown, while rushing six times for 19 yards.
Since being traded to Montreal, fans have been clamoring to see him start and Manziel has noticed. However, he's not as much about the attention as he used to be.
"It can cause a little bit of chaos," Manziel said. "But if you get a chance to really know me and know what I'm about, I don't feel like there's a lot of that anymore. And I appreciate the support that I do get, being in a completely new, different place. The support and everything that I've gotten and the messages and the amount of people that have been encouraging throughout my journey of life to get back to this point today has been -- it's been really nice."
The game between the Alouettes and the Tiger-Cats will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 3 from Montreal.
For Manziel, Friday's game against the Tiger-Cats will continue a comeback season that started less then four months ago. Back in April, Manziel played in two games as a member of the Spring League. In those two games, Manziel finished 19 of 31 for 271 yards and a touchdown while also throwing one interception and rushing for two other touchdowns.
Before that, Manziel hadn't started in a football game since since Week 16 of the 2015 season when he threw for 136 yards and rushed for 108 during the Browns' 17-13 loss to the Chiefs. In a twist of fate, Manziel has more wins (2) than any other Browns quarterback over the past three seasons.
