Former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer calls Johnny Manziel an 'arrogant little [expletive]'
That polarizing Johnny Manziel has another detractor.
Former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer was on a St. Louis radio station Wednesday morning and while he said he admired how hard the former Texas A&M quarterback played, he wasn't a fan of his attitude.
"I don't like his antics, I think he's an arrogant little -----," Switzer said on The Morning After. "I've said that and I'll say it again. He's a privileged kid. He's embarrassed himself, he's embarrassed his teammates, his program, he's embarrassed his coach. And they all have to defend him because they have to coach him. I know how that works, I've spent 40 years in the damn game."
(Full audio of the interview is available here.)
Manziel, the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, came up because the St. Louis Rams have the No. 2 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft (via the Washington Redskins). If the Houston Texans don't take Manziel, St. Louis will have the option to.
What are those "antics?" They weren't defined, so it could be anything from being found not to have received cash for autographs, gesturing to and trash-talking opponents on the field, going to a casino (something Switzer did in New Orleans), or having a good time off-the-field.
But after the detraction, Switzer praised Manziel's game. Heavily.
"I give him his due, I've always been that way, I'm going to give a guy credit for the best that I've seen," Switzer said. "I have never seen a quarterback in college football take control of a game and control the game like he does. Put up the numbers he does. It is fantastic what he has done. Against good competition. Game after game after game he puts numbers up that are staggering."
He later compared Manziel to Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan in basketball. The Rams' current quarterback is Sam Bradford, who went to Oklahoma, though Switzer said he wouldn't have a problem with the Rams drafting Manziel.
As many have undoubtedly pointed out, Switzer is hardly one to throw stones from his glass balcony about arrogance. The eminently quotable former coach congratulated current Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops for beating Iowa State earlier in the year before the game even started while he also said that Oklahoma was going to hang 50 on Oklahoma State. And those two situations are just from the fall of 2013. There are many others as well.
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is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @NickBromberg
