JOHNNY MANZIEL REACTS TO HOYER BEING NAMED THE STARTER

On his initial reaction to Head Coach Mike Pettine’s decision to name the season’s starting QB:

“It’s obviously disappointing but at the same time I said this from day one from the very first day I got here is that don’t let this competition overcome anything, just come out and try to get better. I feel if I would have (come) out and played better it would have been a different outcome. I don’t think that I played terrible but didn’t really do anything to jump off of the page. I think I made strides and got better throughout the training camp and that’s what I wanted to do. It’s disappointing but at the same time I want what’s best for this team moving forward and I’m going to continue to come out here every day and give my all and continue to get better as a quarterback. That’s all I can do.”

On whether there was any anger shown in his disappointment:

“No…at the same time, I need to get ready to play whenever that is. I wouldn’t say that there was anger; there was no reason to be angry. It was a fair chance on both sides and they went with who they thought was right for the first week. For me I know that football is a game of crazy things and anything can happen so I need to practice and perform like I will be playing.”

On whether he would have done anything differently leading up to the decision:

“Not a single thing. There’s nothing that I would’ve changed, nothing that I would’ve done differently. If I would’ve gone out and made some plays in the last two weeks than it could have been a different outcome but no I don’t feel that I would’ve gone back and done anything differently.”

On the difference in playbooks between the NFL and Texas A&M University:

“It’s exactly what I thought it would be. I knew it would be a big step. I obviously didn’t know exactly what it entailed, but I knew that it would be a big jump for me, a big learning process and the thing is people have really followed me since I already established myself at (Texas)  A&M. If people would have seen me my first year at A&M they would’ve said no way this kid could get to where I’m at today. People don’t understand that my first year-and-a-half at A&M I was terrible. I would’ve never gotten to this point if I played like did that first year-and-a-half. I just continued to try and get better, learn the playbook, got more comfortable around everybody around the coaches with the system and then good things happened for me.”

On how he’ll get better during the season without taking game reps:

“I’m still getting plenty of reps that I’m getting at practice and I think that I need to make every opportunity that I have throughout the season count. Whether its practice, whether it’s getting a chance to get in the game, whatever it is, take mental reps. See, for me I still need to learn how to prepare for an NFL week. I haven’t even got a chance to do that yet. These are preseason games; they’re not pouring time in our opponent like we will in a regular season game so there’s still a lot for me to go through, a lot for me to experience, and a lot for me to learn.”

On whether the decision on the starting quarterback to start the season makes him more focused to become the starter:

“I think, obviously like I said, it’s disappointing off the bat and I think that it does. I need to get better and I need to try and speed up that process up as much as I can. The season is getting here so you never know when your number can be called throughout the season. For me I know I just need to continue to learn and to continue to adapt to anything that’s thrown my way.”

On whether it lights his fire to compete:

“I wouldn’t say necessarily. It’s disappointing, I didn’t want this to be the outcome but at the same time, I didn’t necessarily feel like I was ready. I felt like there were steps that I needed to take, and I need to take, to get better. Down the road as the weeks continue to go on I think that it will get better. So, does it light a fire? I don’t really know if it does or not.”

On whether he consciously tried to resist the urge to scramble and run:

“No.”

On whether Pettine gave him a possible timeframe when he might play in the future:

“I think that I need to earn everything for me to get in. I need to earn it. I need to earn my place in this offense if there is place for me in that, with whatever packages – whatever could come down the road but I need to earn everything. Nothing should be given to me and I completely understand that. I need to continue to come in here every day, day-in and day-out, and get better, be around these guys and continue to let them know who I am and how I am. That’s all I can really do.”

On if Pettine explained his decision to him:

“No. (He) said that they were going with (QB Brain Hoyer) and to make the most of every rep that I’m given and the time that I have in this building and just get better, that’s all that I need to do. I know that and he didn’t need to come in and say that for me to know what I need to do going forward. I’m smart enough to know that I didn’t play to the best of my abilities the last week and I need to get better. That’s really it.”

On whether watching from the sidelines once the regular season starts help him with his development:

“I think that it will be great. Like I said, when I first got to A&M, if people would’ve seen me they would have said no way this guy goes on to do what I’ve done in the past two – three years. For me, sitting back, I remember a time when I was at A&M and I had to sit there and redshirt. It was hard, it was frustrating but at the same time a got a lot better in that year-and-a-half that I had to sit, learn and watch. Whenever my number is called and whenever it’s my time, I’ll be ready.”

On evaluating what steps he needed to take to possibly be ready against the Pittsburgh Steelers as a starter:

“I’m not sure, I just know that you don’t go from playing two years in college to playing two preseason games and then saying that you can come out and play the Pittsburgh Steelers and their defense. It just doesn’t happen that way. I don’t think that should’ve have been much of a shock that I wasn’t necessarily ready. It was a game into the preseason now we’re going into our third preseason game (and) better, fourth preseason game get better and as the season continues to go on get better in practice, get better in each and every day. That’s all you can do.”

On any words or thoughts shared with QB Brian Hoyer being named the starting quarterback:

“Me and Brian really didn’t talk much about it. It was a competition, good for Brian though. He’s a hometown guy, a guy that’s been around this area for a long time. I know that (with) me being (from) Texas – a Texas job like that would mean the world to me, so props to him.”

On what he’s learned about the speed of the NFL game during the preseason:

“It’s faster, it’s the NFL. It’s extremely fast and you have to be decisive and quick with your decisions.”

On forgetting the Monday Night Football game and refocusing:

“I think that you learn from it and move on. I don’t think you flush it. I think there are good things to be learned from that game. Whenever your offense isn’t moving the ball you’re kind of getting stuck and you have to learn what you’re doing wrong and figure out how to fix it. That’s what you have to do.”

On whether he learned anything from getting sacked during Monday night’s game:

“Yeah, I didn’t even really notice that. I was trying to get through my progressions on the first sack it just kind of broke down and I really didn’t notice it. There are going to be lanes somewhere, you just have to be able to find them and I need to be able to do a better job of that if I am going to take off.”

On whether he would do anything differently based on the factors of the coaches decision:

“No. I think I will continue to learn how the season goes. I learn how things go and next time I come into training camp I won’t be surprised by it next time that I come into OTAs I won’t be surprised by it. But to say I wouldn’t go back after the draft to now and change a single thing. I’m going to continue to live my life and the offseason is the offseason. I’m going to travel places I’m going to go places and do things and that’s going to have no effect. Obviously, I need to do it in the proper way but I’m still going to continue to have fun in my life and to live my life. I don’t think that any of that slowed me in this competition. I think that more than anything if you come out and play well, it makes the decision a lot easier. If you don’t, then it (clouds it up) and what happened-happened.”

On whether he thinks that the spotlight on him will lesson with him not starting at this time:

“I mean I’m the back-up quarterback I shouldn’t be in the spotlight. Who knows if that will actually be the case, but it would be nice. I don’t think it’s going to happen though.”

On rookie quarterbacks starting immediately in the NFL:

“It doesn’t mean anything, you don’t have to come in from your first day of your rookie season and play right away. You don’t have to do that. There’s no exact guideline to how this process works with young quarterbacks. You’ve seen it each and every different way. Some ways it works, some ways it doesn’t. So I think it’s all about that person in that situation and how you handle your time with the scout team, how you handle your time with the (second team) how you handle your time not getting those reps. You need to get them some way whether it’s mentally, watching the film, whatever it may be. It’s all about how you react to the decision that was made today. For me, I need to continue to do what I need to do to get better as football player and get smarter and learn more about the game and really make the most of the situations that I have. Control what I can control and I think that everything will work out fine for me.”