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Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel meets the press during SEC Media Days 2013 at the Wynfrey Hotel on July 17, 2013, in Hoover, Alabama. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

HOOVER, Alabama - This is Johnny Manziel's story, and he's sticking to it.

See, what had happened was, he went to the Manning Passing Academy as a counselor, and there were "social events" each night. Who among us doesn't love a good social event?

Not to mention, at the end of the day, he's a 20-year-old college student, and he wants to have fun, and that's when a lot of the fun begins, at the end of the day.

Turns out he overslept Friday night because his cell phone died and, no, he wasn't hung over, "absolutely not." It's just that he's had a very busy schedule throughout June and July, traveling all the way to places like Oregon for events like The Opening.

Which reminds me. The ESPYs are tonight.

Anyway, he missed some of his Manning responsibilities Saturday morning, and yes, he went home, but no, he wasn't asked to leave. "It was a mutual decision."

Satisfied? Of course you're not.

It's been amazing to watch so many otherwise rational adults reach for their smelling salts over the off-season activities of the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy.

Some of those Miss Pittypats carried media badges and followed Manziel around the Wynfrey during his SEC Media Days visit hanging on his every word or snapping his picture or snapping pictures of all the people who were hanging on his every word.

Steve Shaw, the SEC's coordinator of football officials, should've shadowed Manziel with a video camera himself. It would've made for a tremendous instructional DVD on targeting.

Professional reporters turned into amateur prosecutors as they deconstructed Manziel's story of the night in question at the Manning Academy.

But his dad said he was dehydrated!

But the academy's statement said he was sick!

But he's underage!

But ... but ... but... Tim Tebow!

Granted, Manziel's story was well-crafted, especially as he avoided the potential legal question of underage drinking. Given a chance to tell his side of the story, he didn't tell the whole story, leaving it to your imagination to fill in the blanks.

Some of you have a colorful imagination, and you're doing your best to think the worst of the Texas A&M quarterback. And you wonder why so many elite college players turn pro at the first opportunity.

That's not to excuse Manziel's early departure from the Manning Academy. If you make a commitment to be there, you should be there. If you're too exhausted from trying to be all things in all places to all people, lighten your scheduling load.

That's on Manziel and his family and Texas A&M.

But the overreaction and condemnation in the guise of concern is on everyone else. Manziel is 20. Shouldn't the adults in the room actually act like the adults in the room?

Manziel's not following us around with a camera phone. He's not hanging on every word we say, though he listened and calmly answered all the repetitive questions fired his way Wednesday.

If you're disappointed in his off-season behavior, if he has somehow failed to live up to your expectations of the way a freshman Heisman winner should act, that's not his problem. It's your problem.

If you don't see him as a role model, you're looking in the wrong place for inspiration.

"I'm not Tebow," he said, even as he expressed his admiration for a fellow Heisman winner.

No, he's not, and he shouldn't have to be. What he does have to be is accountable to his family, his coaches and his teammates. What he does have to do is show up on time and ready for workouts, practices, meetings and games.

It doesn't really matter what you think of him. It matters what the people around him think of him. His coach, Kevin Sumlin, didn't pretend that Manziel has pushed all the right buttons away from the game.

"I think off the field, there's no question that he's made some mistakes," Sumlin said. "Can he be better in that area? Certainly. That's something that we're working at."

The other two A&M players in the traveling party, tackle Jake Matthews and defensive back Toney Hurd Jr., didn't express any concern that he'll fail to show up on game day.

Hurd called him "a great guy. He's a humble guy. When the season starts, he'll be ready to go."

"They know where my head is," Manziel said. "They know where my heart is."

One question for everyone wagging a finger in the direction of one person in College Station: Where's your head?

Manziel still has plenty of growing up to do and plenty of time to do it. It's a shame some of his critics can't say the same.

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