NEW YORK (December 8, 2012) -- No freshman had ever won the Heisman Trophy. Then again, Johnny Manziel has done a lot of things that no freshman had done before.
The Texas A&M quarterback won the 2012 Heisman Trophy Saturday, beating out Notre Dame linebacker Manti T'eo and Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein.
Manziel, better known as "Johnny Football" in College Station, becomes the first-ever freshman to win college football's most coveted award. Only five times had a freshman previously finished in the top three of the Heisman voting.
Manziel picked up 424 first-place votes and finished with 2,029 overall. T'eo gathered 321 first-place votes and 1,706 overall.
Manziel set a Southeastern Conference record with 4,600 yards of total offense this season, breaking the mark set by 2010 Heisman winner Cam Newton. Manziel also scored 43 touchdowns this season.
He jumped into the Heisman picture after throwing for 253 yards and two touchdowns in a 29-24 upset win over then No. 1 Alabama on November 10.
Manziel is Texas A&M's second-ever Heisman trophy winner, joining 1957 winner John David Crow. He also won the Dave O'Brien Award for the nation's best quarterback at Thursday's Home Depot awards ceremony.
