Manziel didn't come up with Johnny Football for himself, nor did he ask to be called it, reports CBS Sports. According to an article on KTBX.com published in 2012, a TexAgs user with the moniker MF Barnes coined the name when Manziel was still a sophomore in high school, and it has simply followed Johnny to Texas A&M and now the pros.
Johnny Manziel has been called a lot of things, and he even tried to get them trademarked. In 2014, Manziel's company, JMan2 Enterprises LLC, tried to register the name "Johnny Cleveland" with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. It was Manziel's 10th filing for a trademark.
Over the course of sports history, there have been thousands of nicknames for athletes. Some have been better and more memorable than others. The best nicknames aren't just catchy and memorable, they also tell a story.
Check out Bleacher Report's picks on the Best Nicknames in Sports History.
Breaking News: It seems everyone in the NFL community has an opinion on Johnny Manziel these days. After a video manziel's booze-filled weekend in Austin was published, the Browns quarterback lost the starting job.
While Browns head coach Mike Pettine has already spoken out about his decision to bench Manziel, Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall expressed his concern. Read the full details on New York Post.