Little Johnny Goes To School ...

[Tugg Speedman]

Johnny Manziel taking only online courses, only on campus once a month

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/johnny-manziel-taking-only-online-courses-only-campus-233900102--ncaaf.html

Johnny Manziel is the big man on campus at Texas A&M, except for the fact that he's never really on campus.

Manziel met with reporters before a Davey O'Brien Award dinner, and Brent Zwerneman, the Aggies beat writer for the San Antonio Express-News and Houston Chronicle, tweeted out a couple of interesting tidbits from Texas A&M's quarterback about his classwork this semester.

Most notably, his education is all coming online.

@BrentZwerneman  Manziel told us he's taking all online classes this semester. #mysa

@BrentZwerneman   Manziel said he will be on campus (outside of Bright complex) about once a month in taking all online courses. #mysa

We're not suggesting any of this is afoul with NCAA rules; Texas A&M obviously knows of Manziel's online classes and wouldn't mess around with the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner's eligibility. But it's just a little weird. After all, it doesn't seem normal that Cam Newton, the 2010 Heisman Trophy winner who has two NFL seasons under his belt, is spending more time on Auburn's campus this semester than last season's Heisman winner who will be playing college ball in the fall is spending at Texas A&M. But, since the school apparently has no problem with it (and online classes aren't exactly new ground or anything), it seems there's nothing more to the story other than it being a bit unusual.

There's probably good reason for Manziel to take online classes. And Texas A&M is proud of its online schooling. Manziel has to be a major celebrity at Texas A&M already (one other nugget from Zwerneman is that Manziel said he'll look at all his NFL options after the season), and he probably deals with many distractions when he is on campus.

In the Express-News, Zwerneman wrote that Manziel signed up for an on-campus English class, but quickly saw he was the center of attention.

“I went one day — it was a small class of 20 or 25 — and it kind of turned into more of a big deal than I thought,” Manziel told the paper. “The (athletic department) did a good job of saying, 'Let us know if you need anything and we'll figure it all out,' but (by then) I had all online classes, so we didn't need that.”

Still, this probably won't be promoted by the NCAA, which tries to pass off the notion of "student-athlete" as its highest profile athlete isn't living the normal student life, at least for this semester.

[warriorchick]

If this is the wave of the future, I'm not liking it.

On the other hand, now University of Phoenix could actually field a team to play in its stadium.....

[Bricky]

The USA Today article had more quotes from Johnny himself. But he talked about being in an English class early in the semester, but had to drop it because the celebrity was becoming too much. People wanted pictures, autographs, conversations and all he wanted to do was make it through another day of class. Something I completely understand. I think we overglorify student athletes, and celebrities as a whole. In the end they're just people. Very public and successful people (For the most part:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidi_Montag).

[warriorchick]

The USA Today article had more quotes from Johnny himself. But he talked about being in an English class early in the semester, but had to drop it because the celebrity was becoming too much. People wanted pictures, autographs, conversations and all he wanted to do was make it through another day of class. Something I completely understand. I think we overglorify student athletes, and celebrities as a whole. In the end they're just people. Very public and successful people (For the most part:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidi_Montag).

The professor should have simply told the other kids to knock it the f*** off.

And I call BS.  Johnny Football is far from being the first celebrity college athlete. 

[Windyplayer]

It's called an entourage. And online classes take away from what I'm sure is a surreal, absolutely amazing experience of being a stud athlete on campus.

[Tugg Speedman]

I'm watching the Missouri/Florida game and ESPN reported, matter of factly, the Missouri's senior forward Lawrence Bowers is hurt and taking classes online so he can spend as much time as possible on his rehab.

I detect a trend ... must be a SEC thing.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Harvard, Yale, Penn State, Stanford, etc...all offering classes online now.

[warriorchick]

Harvard, Yale, Penn State, Stanford, etc...all offering classes online now.

Of course they are.  But how many Harvard students take ALL of their classes online?

[ChicosBailBonds]

Of course they are.  But how many Harvard students take ALL of their classes online?

No idea.  On one hand, it's a great technology that provides flex scheduling for a number of people.  On the other hand, it could be ripe for all kinds of problems if you don't know who is on the other end of the line taking the class.

Out here at UC Irvine I was just reading that they have an algorithm that actually tracks typing, etc, to prove out the person taking the class has not changed from visit to visit.  They're trying to prevent academic fraud.

[Tugg Speedman]

Out here at UC Irvine I was just reading that they have an algorithm that actually tracks typing, etc, to prove out the person taking the class has not changed from visit to visit.  They're trying to prevent academic fraud.

... and they have algorithms that can take the class for you as well.  Further I heard they are pretty good, they often get an A!

[Bricky]

The professor should have simply told the other kids to knock it the f*** off.

And I call BS.  Johnny Football is far from being the first celebrity college athlete. 

It's one thing to be the big man on campus. It's another to be the first redshirt freshman to win the Heisman. The media has done everything but label him as the chosen one. And it's hard to keep that up, especially if you didn't want it in the first place. Everything he does is magnified because people see his successes and mark him as a role model. Doing normal college things can lead to ridiculous headlines. Think about the Marquette bball fight that broke out at Apt. 720. Ya think that would've been quite as big if it were just 10 random Marquette students? Or drinking on a tuesday night after skipping class? Just walking around campus must suck.

Imagine the headlines if he nods off during class or switches his laptop over to Facebook. "Heisman Winner's Education Not Priority - Excl. interview with classmates."