Two quarterbacks who, on the surface, couldn't appear to be any more different.
Seattle Seahawks signal-caller Russell Wilson may have lost in last night's Super Bowl, but he's still got his championship ring from last year and is an impressive 36-12 in his three-year career. His character and work ethic are lauded in Seattle and around the league.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel did not enjoy the same type of success in his rookie year this past season. He lost his first career start 30-0 against the Cincinnati Bengals and failed to throw a single touchdown in roughly seven quarters of play before finishing the year on injured reserve. Aside from his poor on-field production, Manziel's maturity and approach to the game were questioned throughout the year.
However, Seahawks quarterbacks coach Carl Smith believes there are similarities between the two young QBs. He believes both have that hard-to-pin-down "it" factor, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com
"I didn't know how he'd be long-term," Smith said of watching Manziel while he attended Texas A&M. "I wasn't sure about that. I hadn't delved into it because it didn't look like we were going to be involved in taking him with Russell. But what I saw on the film it was like, 'I want that guy to win a game. If I'm picking a guy to win a game, right now, today, I'm taking him."
But off-field habits are just as important as in-game ability, and it is that side of things that Manziel has apparently yet to grasp.
"Besides, the 'it' factor, Smith cited Wilson's tireless work ethic, the constant note-taking, film-study, and working overtime at practice," Cabot added.
ESPN's Matt Williamson noted what Manziel will need to live up to the Browns' expectations come next season.
"...I'm including Manziel here out of sheer importance to the team," Williamson wrote. "Cleveland needs him to succeed as its starting QB in 2015, which will require him putting in more work than he has to this point. His mobility and improvisation skills are intriguing, but he'll have to be able to beat defenses from the pocket to succeed long-term."
Manziel has quite a long way to go if he wants to rival Wilson's impressive career thus far. Cleveland hopes that he is up to the challenge.