Johnny Manziel admitted that he was unhappy after getting passed up several times during the first round of the NFL Draft, but the former Texas A&M quarterback said that he was thrilled after the Cleveland Browns picked him.
Manziel, who was one of the most popular players heading into the draft, was drafted 22nd overall by the Browns, but not after he was passed up by teams, which previously expressed strong interest in drafting him, including the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans.
The Browns, which was one of the teams that are reportedly high on Manziel, passed up on him after trading down from fourth to eight to select Justin Gilbert.
But when Manziel was still on the board after the first 21 selections, the Browns did not waste another chance, striking a trade to move up to No. 22 and picked Manziel.
"It's a great story," Manziel said via Star-Telegram. "It's great for me to end up there, the team that has fans that are as passionate as I am on the field and play with a lot of heart."
Manziel also played down reports that he does not want to play for the Browns, insisting that he is thrilled to play in Cleveland, citing the strong support from fans despite not having a lot of success over the past several years.
"Those guys are very passionate about a team that hasn't had an incredible amount of success, and they still are very diehard, very loyal. That means a lot. At the same time, it means a lot this team traded up to take me," said Manziel, who was one of the three Aggies picked in the first round of the draft.
Nike To Release Johnny Manziel's Cleveland Browns Shirt
Meanwhile, the Johnny Manziel fever has already started as Nike shelled out Manziel's Browns shirt shortly after the draft, and they are expected to release these shirts in the next few days.
ESPN reporter Darren Rovell posted pictures of Manziel shirts on his Twitter account, showing the design for both men and women's shirt.
Reports also indicated that a number of stores in Ohio are already reserving space for Manziel merchandise, expecting a huge rush for the soon-to-be-released gears.
