Texas A&M chancellor on Manziel: 'I know he's innocent'

Daniel Uthman | USA TODAY Sports

John Sharp, chancellor of the Texas A&M system, is convinced Johnny Manziel did not take money in exchange for his autograph.

Manziel, the 2012 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who is being investigated by the NCAA but is practicing with the Texas A&M football team, allegedly engaged in numerous signing sessions during and after the 2012 season.

Sharp spoke to Bryan-College Station TV station KBTX3 after an event Thursday at Texas A&M's Kyle Field and said of Manziel, "I know he's innocent. I know that he didn't do what they accused him of doing."

The following is the transcript of the interview between KBTX reporter Steve Fullhart and Sharp on Thursday:

Steve Fullhart: "The letter that came out yesterday and your comments concerning Manziel have gotten a little bit of play. Any regrets at all on making the comments?"

John Sharp: "Not at all, not at all. I know he's innocent. I know that he didn't do what they accused him of doing, and I think that it's time that we, once we knew what the facts are and we know the facts ... and I've seen what everybody else has seen now, and the rest of the country is going to get to see that before it's over with. It was a bunch of hype journalism."

Fullhart: "How do you know he didn't do it?"

Sharp: "I just know. I've seen things that other folks can't see. And it didn't happen. It did not happen."

Fullhart: "Have you heard from him as well, straight from his mouth?"

Sharp: "Don't have to. I don't have to hear from him. I don't have to hear from him. I can hear from his original accusers and what they're saying now. Didn't happen, and I hate it that he would go through it, and I think we all ought to look at it from a point of view of, what if that were our son that was going through that? So take your time look at everything that happened and I don't have any doubt that Johnny Manziel is innocent of stuff that they were throwing at him."

Fullhart: "And if that is the case, should there be repercussions at some level? Can you even foresee that? Obviously there is a free press in this country. They may make a mistake …"

Sharp: "No, I believe in the free press. I think you ought to be able to call anybody anything you want to, and that's what happens. It happens in politics, and it happens in everything else. Fortunately for us, 99.9 percent of the press is great and responsible, especially you. We shouldn't have any gripes about it, but when we see something that, in our mind, is egregious, we shouldn't just sit back and say we're going to take that slap in the face at Texas A&M or we're going to allow one of ours to take that slap in that face. We're going to speak out, and in my opinion, that's what I did."

Texas A&M opens the season Aug. 31 at Kyle Field against Rice.

Daniel Uthman, USA TODAY Sports' senior editor, colleges, is on Twitter @DanUthman.