Last college football season , everybody was talking about Johnny Manziel . But Manziel was n't talking about anybody . The Texas A & M quarterback and 2012 Heisman trophy winner -- better known by his aww-shucks , all-American nickname , Johnny Football -- was not allowed to give any interviews , in accordance with head coach Kevin Sumlin 's rules for all freshmen players . Once the regular season ended , and Johnny Football hysteria hit its height , Sumlin lifted the ban . Finally , a chance to get to know more about the superstar quarterback about whom , despite all his nationally televised on-field fireworks , so much was still shrouded in pigskin-scented mystery . `` What will he say ? '' `` What 's he like ? '' Eager fans and sports writers could n't wait for the public Johnny Football to emerge . And he did -- uneventfully -- on November 26 , 2012 . But now , after another scandal in an offseason that has been too eventful , Manziel and fans alike may have been better off with the Private Johnny Football . On Sunday it was revealed that Manziel is the subject of an NCAA investigation for possibly being paid to autograph football memorabilia , which would violate the NCAA 's rules prohibiting athletes from making money by `` promoting or advertising the commercial sale of a product or service . '' And so Johnny Football 's roller coaster of unprecedented success and relentless scandal continues . Here 's a recap of some of his other highs and lows . February 2 , 2011 : The highly recruited quarterback officially signs with Texas A & M . Manziel was the nation 's 14th-ranked QB prospect and agrees to take a redshirt his freshman season . June 29 , 2012 : Manziel is arrested in College Station , Texas , after a bar fight . He 's charged with fighting , failure to identify and possession of fake IDs . November 11 , 2012 : Manziel leads Texas A & M to the biggest upset of the college football season , beating Alabama 29-24 . Manziel throws for 253 yards and two touchdowns and rushes for another 93 yards . Johnny Football Fever spreads across the country . December 8 , 2012 : Manziel becomes the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy , after a record-breaking season during which he threw for 3,706 yards and ran for 1,410 and 21 touchdowns . Fellow Heisman finalist Manti Te ' o said the dual-threat Manziel `` is a human video game . '' December 24 , 2012 : Manziel plays golf with Jonas Brothers Joe and Nick . Whether this is a high or a low depends on your radio presets . January 4 : Johnny Football ends his season with a 41-13 pounding of Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl . He 's named the game 's MVP after throwing and rushing for more than 200 yards each . January 5 : Johnny Football begins his offseason by partying at a Houston nightclub ... with his parents reportedly in attendance . Pictures of Manziel end up on TMZ -- including one of him flexing while chomping on a sparkler . He also posts an Instagram photo showing off his legal winnings from an Oklahoma casino . It 's relatively harmless stuff , but the `` party boy '' reputation soon leads to concerns and quotes like these ... January 16 : Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops says of Manziel , `` If they can keep him out of jail or keep him eligible , he 's gon na be pretty good . '' Stoops then adds of the occasionally oversharing quarterback , `` If they can keep him off Twitter , he might win three or four Heismans . '' March 7 : Manziel tweets , `` Spring Break ! Finally ready for some time with the crew and well needed trip to Cabo ! '' Pictures follow -- lots of them . Many people wonder aloud if it 's OK that a college student on spring break is having a really good time . May 17 : Manziel takes batting practice with the San Diego Padres and hits a home run , of course . June 16 : He tweets `` Bulls -- - like tonight is a reason why I ca n't wait to leave college station ... whenever it may be . '' The apparently anti-A & M post is dissected and criticized by sports analysts around the country . It 's later revealed the message was in reference to a parking ticket Manziel received . He later tweets fans should try to `` walk a day in my shoes . '' Both tweets have been deleted . July 13 : Manziel is a no-show for a Saturday morning appearance at the Manning Passing Academy in Louisiana , where 1,200 campers were expecting him . He later told the staff that he was n't feeling well and stayed in . The quarterback was then sent home , reportedly by Archie Manning , igniting new questions about his maturity and ability to handle the spotlight . The next week , A & M head coach Kevin Sumlin said , `` I think , off the field , there 's no question he 's made some mistakes . '' July 15 : Two days later , Manziel pleads guilty to possessing a fake driver 's license and was fined $ 2,000 in that 2012 bar fight case . August 4 : ESPN reports the NCAA is investigating whether Manziel was paid for autographs . The Heisman winner could be suspended if it 's determined he did receive money .
Johnny Manziel is under investigation amid allegations of being paid to sign items . `` Johnny Football '' became the first freshman winner of the Heisman trophy in 2012 . Texas A & M coach forbade him from speaking to the media like other freshmen . Once the ban was lifted , Manziel tweeted photos of himself gambling , partying .