A former Heisman Trophy winner, Johnny Manziel was selected 837th overall in Saturday’s MLB draft. (Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Getty Images)
Former Texas A&M football star Johnny Manziel was drafted by the San Diego Padres on Saturday, one month after being selected by the Cleveland Browns in the NFL Draft, according to MLB.com.
The 21-year-old former Heisman Trophy winner was the 837th overall pick in Saturday’s portion of the draft. He was selected 22nd overall by the Browns in May. He played baseball in high school but skipped his senior year to focus on his football career and playing at the college level. He played with the Padres during batting practice in May of last year prior to San Diego’s game against the Nationals at Petco Park; he even connected for a home run at the stadium.
Manziel follows in the footsteps of other recent NFL quarterbacks to also get the call from the major leagues. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was drafted by the Orioles in 2007, and again by the Rockies in 2010. He was later claimed by the Rangers this past winter. Niners quarterback Colin Kaepernick was selected in the 43rd round by the Chicago Cubs in the 2009 draft.
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