Miller, Manziel & Vinko … Meeting Aggie Expectations

Many people reading this column know about Vinko Bogataj.

You probably don’t know that you know him, but you do.

Bogataj, a native of Slovenia, was a world-class ski jumper over four decades ago, among the best in the ski flying event, honored for his skills. But, he won’t be remembered for his many successes. He’ll be remembered for one failed jump in Oberstdorf, Germany in March, 1970.

Midway down the snow-packed ramp, Bogataj realized his speed was too fast and he attempted to stop the jump. Instead, he careened out of control, spinning off the ramp, flipping wildly and crashing through a retaining fence.

The jump was immortalized by the unforgettable voice of the late, legendary announcer Jim McKay: “… the thrill of victory … and the agony of defeat.”

Those words and the image of the tumbling Bogataj were the dramatic introduction to ABC’s Wide World of Sports, the sports anthology show that ran for 37 years, mostly on Saturday afternoons.

I thought about Vinko Bogataj during the past couple of weeks as I watched Super Bowl 50, kept up with the ongoing saga of Johnny Manziel, and thought about Texas A&M fans and the legacies that people leave.

Aggie followers, like most college sports fans, especially those pulling for Southeastern Conference teams, are passionate about their teams and their athletes. Those loyalties don’t end when the players leave College Station.

Fans share the thrill of victory when their former athletes have great success. And, they share the agony of defeat when things go the other way.

Texas A&M faithful have exuberantly and painfully known both within the past few weeks.

First, there’s Von Miller.

Playing high school ball in DeSoto, Tex., Miller was rated among the Top 15 defensive ends in the country and could have played most anywhere. Florida, Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Texas Tech were among his suitors, but he chose to play in College Station.

Four years later, he was a two-time first-team All-American, winner of the 2010 Butkus Award, given annually to the country’s top linebacker, and was named Defensive MVP of the Senior Bowl. On NFL Draft Day, only one name was called before Miller – Cam Newton, the quarterback with unrivaled talent on Auburn’s undefeated national championship team, the Heisman Trophy winner. Newton went to the Carolina Panthers, while Miller went next to the Denver Broncos.

Ironically, those two teams met in Super Bowl 50, the golden anniversary of football’s biggest game. Newton had been chosen Most Valuable Player of the NFL, already setting the career record for touchdowns scored by a quarterback in only his fifth year in the league. Carolina was favored by about five points.

But, it was Miller and the Broncos defense that ruled the day. Newton did have over 300 yards total offense, but his more significant statistics were six sacks and three turnovers, while being harassed mercilessly from start to finish. Miller finished with six tackles, 2.5 sacks and two caused fumbles in being named Super Bowl MVP.

Over the years, things weren’t always smooth for Miller. In August 2013, he was arrested for failure to appear for driving-related charges from the year before. He was later arrested at a gun store when a background check revealed an outstanding arrest warrant. A month after that, he was arrested for speeding and driving with a suspended license.

Miller found himself going down the ramp too fast, not far from being out of control, facing a life decision … stop and change direction or plummet off the side. He made the right choice and today he has a Super Bowl ring and MVP Trophy.

Then, there’s Johnny Manziel.

Like Miller, he played high school ball in Texas (Tivy High in Kerrville) and had a lot of college choices, including Baylor, Stanford and Oregon, where he originally committed. But, the year after Miller left College Station, Manziel was on the team there.

In his redshirt freshman season, Manziel became the new face of college football. In a win over Alabama in Tuscaloosa, he accounted for 345 yards with two touchdown passes. He had 557 yards total offense against Arkansas, breaking Archie Manning’s SEC record. By the end of the season, known now as “Johnny Football,” he won the Heisman Trophy, two years after Newton earned the prize.

A year later, after his sophomore campaign, Manziel announced that he would forgo his junior season and enter the NFL Draft. Again, like Miller, he was chosen in the first round, picked by the Cleveland Browns. Unfortunately, the rest of his path has been different from Miller’s.

It started during his Aggie playing days. Before his first college game, he was arrested and charged with three misdemeanors. Between seasons, he had a controversial departure from the Manning Passing Academy and reports surfaced of questionable autograph sessions. Johnny Football wasn’t handling stardom well.

Things went from bad to worse after leaving College Station. In early 2015, he checked himself into an alcohol rehabilitation center. Three months later, he had an altercation with a patron at a golf tournament. In October, he was stopped by police for fighting with his girlfriend. He was demoted to third team quarterback by the Browns due to the surfacing of a party video prior to a game.

Then early this year, his marketing agency announced that it could no longer represent Manziel and the Dallas Police Department opened a criminal investigation with a claim of domestic violence involving his ex-girlfriend. She claimed that Manziel had “threatened to kill us both.”

Going down a long, long ramp too fast for a long, long time. Out of control, facing a life decision … stop and change direction or plummet off the side.

“the thrill of victory” – Von Miller

“the agony of defeat” – Johnny Manziel

All of us, especially Texas A&M fans, congratulate Miller on making the right choices, playing like a champion and earning a revered place in Aggie memory.

And, all of us, especially Texas A&M fans, hope that Manziel starts making some right choices and doesn’t end up primarily remembered as the Aggies’ Vinko Bogataj.