Texas A&M Aggies star Johnny Manziel has expressed his desire to follow the example set by Russell Wilson as a successful short quarterback in the NFL.
Wilson guided the Seattle Seahawks to a 43-8 victory over Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in the latest Super Bowl in just his second year in the league.
He was chosen in the third round in 2012 and has thrown for more than 3,100 yards and 26 touchdowns in each of his first two seasons, despite standing at just 5'11".
Manziel is slightly taller than Wilson, but believes that he can emulate the Seattle quarterback by dodging early pressure and getting out of the pocket when necessary.
"I'm going to measure 6 feet — I'm 72 inches on the dot. If they want to try to jump on my shoulders and squish me down, it's not going to be any less than that," Manziel told the Houston Chronicle.
"I think [Wilson] has kicked the door wide open. You're seeing more guys being successful avoiding that first wave of pressure — get out and do things outside the pocket. Wilson does some things he's not asked to do, when things don't go exactly as scripted.
"He's able to extend the play. One reason they were so successful early in the Super Bowl was that he was four-of-five on third down and was able to continue to push the ball down the field and get them where they needed to be."
Manziel is widely regarded as one of the best prospects available in this year's Draft and has been projected as the number one overall pick by the Houston Texans.
Barney Corkhill
