"The House that Johnny Built" has a nice ring to it for Texas A&M fans after seeing the profile of their football team elevated significantly thanks to the talents of former quarterback Johnny Manziel.
One school regent is taking the next step, however, and wants the phrase to be an official part of the Aggies' renovated stadium. Speaking at a construction update on Monday in College Station, Texas A&M regent Jim Schwertner said he wanted Kyle Field renamed to "Kyle Field: The House that Johnny Built."
And he's not joking either.
The Aggies are going through a $450 million renovation of Kyle Field that is scheduled to be completed over two offseasons. The south and east sides of the facility have already been demolished and are on track to be completed in time for the 2014 opener against Lamar on Sept. 6. After the 2014 season is complete, the remaining sides of Kyle Field will be torn down and rebuilt.
If Schwertner gets his way, there might be a need for some new lettering on the side of the stadium as a tribute to the school's most recent Heisman Trophy winner.
"It's going to be up to the students and former students to decide that," Schwertner told the San Antonio Express-News. "That would sure be a real testament about how great that young man was for this university. My vote would be yes, but there are a lot of other folks who will have a vote on what I just said."
Manziel guided A&M to a 20-6 record during his two seasons as a starter and helped the program effortlessly transition from the Big 12 to the SEC. He was taken 22nd overall in the first round by the Cleveland Browns in the 2014 NFL Draft and figures to be one of the most popular rookies in the league during the upcoming 2014-15 season.
The quarterback reportedly applied for the trademark to the phrase "The House that Johnny Built" earlier this year. The phrase actually was already owned by Manziel's friend Nathan Fitch, creating a bit of an awkward situation.
Probably not as awkward as going back to school and seeing your name in giant letters though, but that remains to be seen.
"I hope the Aggie Nation will come together and decide that's something they want to do," Schwertner said.
Follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter @BryanDFischer.
