Legendary former Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer always has been a man of few, and sometimes sharp, words. And he solidified that reputation Wednesday when asked about the theatrics the Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel displayed against Rice, including a personal foul. Manziel was flagged 15 yards after engaging in too much talk with a Rice defender, and made a few hand gestures that have drawn negative media attention.
"I'm certainly disappointed in his actions. ... For him to act so arrogant -- I wanted to jerk his face mask and I wanted to grab him. Of course you get fired for that now; in the old days you could get away with that," Switzer said on ESPN radio. "It's the world we live in. It's a misplaced value system. When I see this happen I wonder where the core value system comes from, if he has a core value system. This young man needs a damn hell of a lot of development."
Switzer won three national championships at Oklahoma over an 11-year period from 1975 through 1985. He also coached a Super Bowl championship team with the Dallas Cowboys. Switzer compared his own difficulty managing former OU running back Marcus Dupree to what TAMU coach Kevin Sumlin must be going through in dealing with Manziel's brash personality.
"I feel for him," Switzer said of Sumlin.
Switzer knows a thing or two about athletic quarterbacks, having coached some of the most dangerous option quarterbacks of his coaching era. And Manziel, he said, has special skills as a runner. As a passer? Switzer isn't so sure Johnny Football will make it at the next level in that regard.
"Without a doubt he has terrific ability, he's electric, he's got great gears and he's running full speed at two steps. Great vision," Switzer added. "But let me tell you something, I don't know if he can throw the football well enough or is tall enough to play the game (in the NFL). Certainly, he's not disciplined enough."
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.
