Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel might have been well enough Saturday to re-enter the Aggies' loss to Auburn after his shoulder had been injured, but he apparently wasn't well enough to practice two days later.
Aggies coach Kevin Sumlin confirmed that Manziel's arm was in a sling Monday, describing it as a "precautionary measure," and he listed Manziel as "hopeful" to play this weekend vs. Vanderbilt.
Manziel injured the shoulder in the fourth quarter of a close game with the Tigers as he ran upfield on a 2nd-and-goal scramble. He later returned to the game and played effectively but was clearly in pain.
According to texags.com, offensive coordinator Clarence McKinney had this to say about the situation:
"I just listen to the doctors, and when they tell us he's ready to go, we throw him out there. Like in the game, Matt (Joeckel) had to go in a couple of times, and we got the OK from the doctors, and (Manziel) went back out there to try and win the ball game."
McKinney was noncommital about Manziel's playing status for Vanderbilt.
"I'm hopeful," he said. "We hope he goes. But if he doesn't go, we can't cancel the game. So we've got to get another guy ready. But we're definitely hopeful that he'll play."
Given that Manziel re-entered the game against Auburn, it would be surprising if he wasn't available to play against Vanderbilt. In fact, wide receiver Travis Labhart told reporters Manziel actually participated on a limited basis in practice Monday by throwing left-handed, according to a tweet by Aggies beat writer Brent Zwerneman.
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