COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Johnny Manziel was the elephant in the room Tuesday at Texas A&M. The seventh-ranked Aggies head into Saturday’s home opener against Rice with questions swirling about whether their Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback will play against the Owls. The NCAA is investigating whether he was paid for his autograph, a potential violation of amateurism rules that could threaten his eligibility. It was the only thing anyone really wanted to talk about when the Aggies addressed the media. The topic, however, was off limits. Reporters asked anyway. “We’re not discussing that,” coach Kevin Sumlin said. “I thought we went over that right from the beginning.” ESPN reported Manziel met with NCAA investigators over the weekend, and reported the quarterback told the investigators he didn’t take money for his autograph. If Manziel doesn’t play, the Aggies will use junior Matt Joeckel or freshman Kenny Hill.
