Ex-NCAA official: Texas A&M should sit Johnny Manziel until investigation ends

Johnny Manziel has dominated the headlines following allegations that he accepted money for autographs. (Getty) By Zac Ellis One former NCAA official thinks
Ex-NCAA official: Texas A&M should sit Johnny Manziel until investigation ends
Ex-NCAA official: Texas A&M should sit Johnny Manziel until investigation ends /

Johnny Manziel has dominated the headlines following allegations that he accepted money for autographs. (Getty)

By Zac Ellis

One former NCAA official thinks Texas A&M should sit Johnny Manziel until the NCAA's ongoing investigation into his eligibility is complete.

Mark Jones, a former NCAA enforcement director, told the San Antonio Express-News that A&M should keep Manziel, who is under investigation for allegedly accepting money for autographs, on the sidelines to avoid having to vacate wins down the road.

“No one wants to play an athlete who's later determined to be ineligible, especially such a high-profile player,” said Jones. “You don't want to risk having to vacate those games later on.”

Reports surfaced last week linking Manziel to autograph brokers who claimed the quarterback accepted money in exchange for autographs on separate occasions. Last week, the Manziel family announced it would not comment on the ongoing NCAA investigation, but the family did hire an attorney with experience handling clients under fire from the NCAA. That attorney, Jim Darnell, predicted that Manziel would not miss any games because of the investigation.


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Zac Ellis
ZAC ELLIS

Zac Ellis joined SI.com in 2011 and has covered college football and basketball since 2012. In addition to features and columns, he is SI’s primary Heisman Trophy analyst.