Sam Laird2013-03-28 01:28:35 UTC
Heisman Trophy winner and college-football megastar Johnny Manziel says he needs to give Twitter a break after a few digital dustups.
"I've kind of just shut it all off," Manziel told ESPN.com on Tuesday. "With how the media has been with me for a while, I just shut everything off. As of [Monday], I said I was done with [Twitter] for however long. It's fun to have, but it can get to be distracting at points."
Manziel rocketed to nationwide fame last season. He led Texas A&M to a an 11-2 record, throwing 26 touchdowns and running for 21 more as sports fans came to adore the quarterback nicknamed "Johnny Football." In December, he became the first freshman ever to win the vaunted Heisman Trophy.
Since last season, however, Manziel has been in the news a lot for his off-the-field life, which appears to be filled with new celebrity pals, plenty of partying and an online-only class schedule. He's been an active tweeter during this time as well, racking up more than 330,000 followers, and interacting frequently with fans. But that hasn't always worked to his advantage. Earlier this month, Manziel gained attention for bickering with Twitter trolls.
Stepping away from Twitter for the time being seems to be Manziel's attempt to help simplify his suddenly newsworthy life.
"I'm surprised to [see] how the attention has continued through the off-season," Manziel told ESPN.com. "I guess I thought it would die off and slow down a little bit, but it really hasn't."
As of Wednesday evening, Manziel's Twitter page was still active, but he hadn't posted since Monday, when he addressed a false rumor spreading online.
On one hand, quitting the micro-blogging network seems like a good call, given the spotlight Manziel now lives under. On the other, however, he's abandoning a powerful platform as the most famous college football player in America, and would perhaps be better served by simply a more disciplined approach.
Is Manziel making a good call or not? Give us your take in the comments.
Image via Mike Stobe/Getty Images
Topics:
college sports,
Entertainment,
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