Already a polarizing figure in college football, Johnny Manziel (aka Johnny Football) arrived at his first Pro Day Workout last week with an entourage that included former President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush. But much of the attention was on the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner’s prowess on the field and his odd choice of attire. A venue created so incoming NFL pros could showcase their talents in front of scouts and media, Manziel upended the causal atmosphere with a full game-day ensemble of shoulder pads, football jersey and helmet. When asked of his gear, Manziel matter-of-factly replied “You play the game in shoulder pads on Sundays, why not come out here and do it?” Of course that wasn’t the whole story.
Right before he went on the field, Nike Football tweeted “The future starts today. Don’t get left behind.” with a link to pre-order his Pro Day Collection. In a sport where a team is worth around $1.17 billion on average, everyone is looking for a way to make more it . For Nike, which orchestrated the marketing stunt with Manziel, it just made good business sense. You can order replicas of Johnny Manziel Pro Day getup here. Items will be ship on April 29th, a week before the 2014 NFL Draft.
