VIDEO: Manziel's Pro Day showcases Texas A&M's football program
While it was a day for quarterback Johnny Manziel to showcase his elite skills to NFL coaches, general managers and scouts, it was also an opportunity for the school to show-off it's elite football program.
As the NFL personnel assessed what they saw on the field, many couldn't help but notice the enormity of the moment and what it means to the school moving forward.
"Not only have I not been to (a Pro Day) like this," ESPN's Ed Werder told Aggie Athletics. "But guys like Bill Polian, whose been a general manager in the NFL for two decades, has never been to one where there's a former president and First Lady and eight coaches, five of whom have top 10 picks...it was a unique circumstance."
Some may consider Manziel's Pro Day to be superfluous because of the large crowd there to watch, but former Texas A&M cornerback and current scout for the Jets, Aaron Glenn shared a different view.
"Some people might call this a circus, I call this respect for the school," Glenn said.
Houston Texans general manager Rick Smith was happy to see the university get the publicity he feels it deserved and offered his praise of the football program's growth since the school left the Big 12 for the SEC in 2012.
"It's been nice to see this university get the exposure that it's gotten over the last few years," Smith said. "I don't know if anybody would've predicted that you would have had this type of success going into the SEC. It's been fun to watch"
While Manziel's career at the school and their national exposure on television isn't damaging the school's recruiting efforts, Werder feels Texas A&M will benefit in the long-term from Thursday's Pro Day event.
"It's possible they're going to have three top 10 picks and if they don't, it's because Johnny didn't go in the top 10. That's how strong the program is right now. And if you look around and you see the facilities, you would expect that would only continue," Werder said. "You can now recruit based on the facilities that you have here, not to mention some of the great football players who have gone high in NFL drafts and had success in pro football."
[Courtesy: Aggie Athletics]