Johnny Manziel Didn't Vote Himself No. 1 on Heisman Trophy Ballot

Johnny Manziel has become one of the most polarizing figures in the sports world due to his confident personality and off-field antics.

According to Matt Murschel of the Orlando Sentinel, however, the man everyone knows as “Johnny Football” isn’t too full of himself. At least, not when it comes to Heisman voting.

Murschel was one of the many reporters surrounding Manziel at the media day preceding ESPN’s Home Depot College Football Awards show. When talking to members of the media, the conversation naturally shifted to the Heisman race.

Manziel didn’t originally reveal who made his ballot, but Murschel quoted the QB as saying, “I did not vote for myself in first or second place.” That may come as a surprise to critics who felt like the 21-year-old was too arrogant to do something like that. 

Following the Heisman Trophy ceremony on Dec. 14, Billy Liucci of College Station provided who Manziel voted for before himself:

That takes some character, especially since he threw for more touchdowns and yards this season than he did in his Heisman-winning freshman campaign.   

This is a good sign for the young signal-caller entering the next stage of his career. It’s the start of a damage-control process to rectify some of the negativity he faced after a tumultuous offseason. 

Perhaps “Johnny Football” is starting to mature and focus on what earned him his catchy nickname.