Jake Matthews was full of praise for his former teammate at Texas A&M. During Thursday's press conference at the NFL Scouting Combine, Matthews answered multiple questions about Manziel's work ethic.
"Everything I've ever seen him do is all out," Matthews said. "He worked hard at everything he did. When it was time to practice, he was out there competing just as hard as he would in a game. That's all I ever saw…There were definitely things he worked on all the time to try and get better at. My biggest thing was just trying to give him time because he's proved that he's going to make plays. All I've got to do is try to give him those opportunities. As an offensive lineman, that's the mindset I own."
Matthews, son of Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews, off-field issues never let affected Manziel's dedication to the team. Manziel was always at practice and a hard-working team player, according to Matthews. When asked about his on-field issues in blocking for an unpredictably mobile quarterback like Manziel, the offensive lineman answered with a smile.
"It's definitely different," Matthews said. "Ever since Johnny took over, I've been answering this question – you really don't know what to expect, he's all over the place. But at the same time, you gotta take what comes with it because the guy makes plays. He's proved it game after game."
