Texas A&M Initially Suspended Johnny Manziel After His 2012 Arrest

The Dallas Morning News reports that Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel faced a season-long suspension after a June 2012 arrest for a role in a barroom brawl, and had the suspension been upheld, Manziel would have transferred from College Station.

It's a confusing story that raises a whole bunch of unanswered questions, but the Morning News' source claims that A&M—not the athletic department—initially suspended Manziel for the entire 2012 season. He appealed through the typical channels, and his suspension was overturned. Manziel would go on to win the starting job in camp, and become the first freshman Heisman Trophy winner.

According to the source, Manziel—still projected to be a backup—naturally "would have felt it was necessary to transfer" if he had to sit out the season.

This is weird, right? Since when do universities issue athletic suspensions to students instead of the programs themselves? Since when do misdemeanor charges warrant a full-season suspension, especially when Manziel hadn't been convicted of anything? There has to be either more to this, or nothing to this at all.

Source: Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel nearly transferred before Heisman Trophy winning 2012 season [Dallas Morning News]