Hamilton Tiger-Cats quarterback Johnny Manziel played his second Canadian Football League preseason game today, and after taking a late hit in the game, he said he’s expecting more of that from his CFL opponents.
“I understand I have a target on my back and I welcome it. I don’t want anything but anybody’s best shot every time. If you’ve got to hit me a little bit to let me know you’re there, cool. I’m coming right back. I’m here too. It’s all fun and games. It’s competition. I’m a competitor. I go out and like to have fun with it so that gets me going. I like it. We ended up scoring on that drive, so that’s a win for us,” Manziel told TSN.
Manziel played reasonably well, completing 12 of 20 for 88 yards and a touchdown, and the Tiger-Cats, who were trailing 14-0 when Manziel entered the game in the second quarter, won 30-15.
The Tiger-Cats start their regular season a week from tonight in Calgary, and Manziel will be the backup to Jeremiah Masoli. But as the most famous player in the CFL, Manziel is right to expect a target on his back. When and if he ever gets on the field, he should be ready for more late hits.