HOOVER, Ala. – Texas A&M started day two of SEC Football Media Days with a bang, as all eyes were on head coach Kevin Sumlin and sophomore quarterback Johnny Manziel.
The Aggies turned heads in 2012 by finishing their inaugural season in the SEC with an 11-2 overall record, producing the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy in Manziel and being the only team to defeat eventual National Champion Alabama, in Tuscaloosa, no less.
Sumlin indicated the biggest challenge going into this season is ignoring the hype and keeping his team focused on their goals, rather than the expectations of fans.
“The excitement level is really, really high,” Sumlin said. “What we have had to do with our football team is separate ourselves from our fans, not from a closeness standpoint, but from a reality standpoint.”
The hot topic of the press conference was the recent off-field mishaps of Manziel.
The Heisman winner was recently dismissed from the Manning Passing Academy after missing multiple meetings. Manziel said the reason for his absence was simply that he overslept.
“There are some growing pains that come with that because of the stature of the Heisman trophy winner,” Sumlin said. “Has he handled it perfectly? No.”
The Aggies will also have to rely on a large recruiting class if they intend to continue their success from last season.
“As a team, we have to hit the reset button,” he said. “We signed 31 new players over the last year that are going to come in. Many of them are going to have to help us with the season as true freshman.”