Johnny Manziel played three series in his Alliance of American Football debut Sunday night.
The former Heisman Trophy winner went 3-for-5 for 48 yards, rushed for 20 yards, took one sack and had a failed two-point conversion as the Memphis Express rallied for a 31-25 overtime victory over the Birmingham Iron.
Brandon Silvers made his first professional start, the third starting quarterback for the Express, and went 24-of-35 for 266 yards and two touchdowns.
But those who tuned in did so to see Manziel, who struggled in two NFL seasons and for his eight-game stint in the Canadian Football League.
Co-offensive coordinator Bobby Blizzard said last week, after only a couple of practices, that Manziel was ready to play. The Express offense is similar to the offense that the Heisman Trophy winner ran at Texas A&M.
