Don't expect Johnny Manziel to be among those piling onto Baker Mayfield for his off-field transgressions.
"He got in a little bit of trouble last year but that's just part of being in college," Manziel told Barstool Sports in a podcast released Thursday. "When you're in college, mostly any quarterback that's on campus is the man on campus. They're gonna go out, they're gonna have some drinks, and one night you're gonna drink too much and something's gonna happen that shouldn't have happened."
Mayfield, who is in the running to be the No. 1 overall pick to the Cleveland Browns, was arrested in February 2017 on charges of public intoxication, disorderly conduct, fleeing and resisting arrest. The University of Oklahoma ultimately had him do 35 hours of community service and complete an alcohol education program as a result of the arrest.
Mayfield and Manziel have drawn comparisons in large part due to their brash nature and tendency for improvisation on the field. The off-field issues only intensified the comparisons, though Mayfield has gone out of his way to distance himself.
"We're two completely different people," Mayfield told reporters in February. "I've always had a love for the game. I’ve always been a team-oriented guy. Not saying that Johnny wasn't. But I've quickly earned the respect of my teammates because of how I worked.
"I wasn't given the natural talent that Johnny had. Because he's a talent. And there's a reason he got taken in the first round, amazing player. We're just not the same mentally. Just wired differently. And arm strength-wise. I've got more than capable enough of an arm, arm talent, strength-wise, and I think I can make all the throws."
Manziel said he understands why Mayfield has balked at their comparisons.
"He's doing what he has to do right now to separate himself from anything bad, so I completely understand it when people lump him in with me...I haven't had a very good NFL career. It's been a struggle for me, all the off-field stuff that's happened. He's trying to separate himself as far away from that as he possibly can."
