Manziel says NCAA should change rules

Associated Press

BEREA

Johnny Manziel built his brand and bolstered Texas A&M’s by producing magical moments on the field and winning.

He made the school money and feels college athletes should be getting paid.

On Friday, the Browns rookie quarterback and former Heisman Trophy winner said the NCAA should change its rules and allow college athletes to capitalize on their likeness.

Addressing the situation involving Georgia running back Todd Gurley, who was suspended indefinitely on Thursday as the school investigates an alleged violation of NCAA rules, Manziel said he can relate to Gurley’s predicament and believes college players should be compensated.

“I obviously know what Todd’s going through and I feel for him,” Manziel said. “Obviously I don’t know every single (detail) of the situation that he’s in, but at the same time I think he’s done a great job and worked extremely hard to make a name for himself on the football field. He has an image and he has a likeness and he has obviously a want and a need for his autograph — and I feel that if he wants he should be able to have a system that allows him to go out and capitalize from that.”

Georgia officials have not revealed the nature of their investigation. But SI.com, citing anonymous sources, reported Gurley received money for signing memorabilia.

Manziel, who won the Heisman as a freshman with the Aggies, was investigated before the 2013 season when reports surfaced that he received money for signing autographs. The NCAA agreed with Texas A&M to sit Manziel for the first half of the season opener against Rice, with no finding he did anything wrong.

SI.com reported that Gurley is accused of receiving $400 to sign 80 pieces of memorabilia on campus earlier this year.

Manziel said he believes it’s time for the NCAA to take closer look at how the money in big-time college football is distributed.

“I think it’s at a big crossroads right now with how much money college football in particular is bringing in for universities, for networks, for the SEC for everything of that nature and then guys are walking out with an $800 scholarship check a month,” he said. “It’s an ongoing thing and we don’t know every bit and piece, but he (Gurley) has built an image for himself. I don’t think that’s going to change any time soon, but at the same time I think it is an ongoing problem in college athletics.”

Moments after speaking with reporters, Manziel offered his support to Gurley by tweeting: “(hash)FreeGurley.”

Manziel knows what it’s like to be tempted by memorabilia collectors willing to pay for a signature. He said it’s difficult to separate the casual fan from someone looking to cash in.

“People walk around on game days in brand new jerseys with tags on them,” he said. “You see it here in the NFL. Any sporting event, signatures and autographs are something that every fan usually wants, and it’s really hard to decide when somebody comes up to you and asks you to sign if they genuinely want your autograph, are a die-hard fan, or if they’re going to take this back and sell it and try to make it for their own profit.”

HADEN BACK AT PRACTICE

The Browns’ defense has gone from struggling to staggering.

Cleveland closed its week of practice for Sunday’s AFC North matchup against Pittsburgh with 10 defensive players on the injury list.

On Friday, Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden returned to practice after missing two days with a hip injury, raising the possibility he will be available to cover top Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown. But Haden’s comeback was tempered by linebacker Paul Kruger missing his second straight day with a back “issue” and defensive tackle Ahtyba Rubin being listed as questionable after injuring his ankle in practice Thursday.

The Browns are already thin on their defensive front after end Phil Taylor underwent knee surgery and Billy Winn was ruled out with a quad injury.

At least there appears to be a chance the Browns will have Haden. He got hurt last week in Cleveland’s comeback win at Tennessee but did not miss a snap. Earlier this week, Haden was limited to riding a stationary bike and working with a trainer but on Friday he ran, jumped and backpedalled during the 20-minute portion of practice open to reporters.

Afterward, coach Mike Pettine said it was nice to have Haden back.

“It was good,” he said. “He got a little bit of work off to the side. He was limited, very limited. Hopefully he has a good day tomorrow getting some treatment. We’re hopeful. It’s a game-time decision, but we hope he’ll be able to go obviously.”

If Haden can’t play, Pettine said rookie Justin Gilbert will start. Gilbert has been a major disappointment this season, but the Browns are sticking with the No. 8 overall pick, who had a strong few days of practice.

“He came out and did his job,” Pettine said. “He had a great attitude, competed, made some plays. He just raised his level of consistency. He still made some mistakes, but I would say it was his best week of practice.”

Kruger’s injury is a bit mysterious. Pettine would not offer any details, saying only that it didn’t happen at practice or while Kruger was lifting weights.