By Phil Richards

phil.richards@indystar.com

For the past two years, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel has been the man prompting all the questions. Friday afternoon at the NFL Scouting Combine, he was the guy with all the answers.

*Regarding his size, officially measured at 5-11¾, 207 pounds Friday: "I play with a lot of heart. I play with a lot of passion. I feel I play like I'm 10 feet tall. A measurement to me is just a number."

*His scrambling style on the field and sometimes wayward adventures off it: "I tried to really hone in on some things this year: Get better in the pocket, continuing to develop as a passer. Obviously some scrutiny off the field but continuing to learn, continuing to learn from my mistakes and continuing to grow up."

*Whether he's "Johnny Football" or Johnny Manziel: "Johnny Manziel is a guy from a small town of Kerrville, Texas, 20,000. People get lost in (innuendo) that makes me out to be a big Hollywood guy. Really (I'm) just a small-town kid."

*He denied reports he has been counseled for alcohol abuse and anger management: "(A&M coach Kevin) Sumlin kind of came to me and said they have an in-house guy. He wanted me to sit down and meet with him. I was more than willing to learn whatever I could from him and sit down and have meetings with him and those continued throughout the next couple years." Manziel characterized his confidant as "something along the lines of a counselor."

He was well-prepared and well-coached for his Friday appearance. He clearly is redefining himself as Johnny the professional, Johnny the mature, reliable teammate. He spent the past six weeks in San Diego, working nine hours a day, five days a week with quarterback guru George Whitfield Jr., who also has worked with, among others, Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck.

Manziel burst into the public consciousness in 2012 when he beat top-ranked Alabama, and as a red-shirt freshman, became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy. Over the two seasons he played at A&M, he threw 63 touchdown passes and only 22 interceptions. He rushed for 2,169 yards, a 6.3-yard average, and 30 more touchdowns. He dominated games with wreckless efficiency.

He also developed a reputation for living large and partying, for a lack of judgment regarding his Twitter account. He was the subject of an NCAA investigation to determine whether he had violated eligibility rules by selling his autograph. The NCAA found no evidence to support the allegation but Manziel was suspended for the first half of the Aggies' 2013 opener.

All that would matter little were it not for Manziel's unique and precocious football talents. Despite his size and improvisational style, he is widely regarded as one of the draft's top three prospects at the position along with Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater and Central Florida's Blake Bortles.

And with five of the first eight teams holding selections in need of quarterback upgrades, he is going to be asked a lot of hard questions before anyone invests millions in making him the face of their franchise. The Houston Texans own the top pick and having a pressing quarterback need. They are the team whose uniform Manziel most wants to wear. Their first-year coach was non-committal Friday.

"Younger players, when you get them into the organization right after the draft, you begin to talk to them about what's important," Bill O'Brien said. "And what's important to your team is that you have team guys that are thinking about being coachable and being really good teammates and understanding that when they leave the building they represent the organization.

"That's a process that'll begin right after the draft."

The prototypical NFL quarterback is a 6-5 pocket passer. It's Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, although 5-11 Russell Wilson came along two years ago and last season led the Seattle Seahawks to victory in Super Bowl XLVIII.

"I think it was Johnny that said Russell has opened the door for him," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. "That's true because prior to the past couple years the general thinking was that guys of Russell's stature couldn't play, which obviously is wrong. It's just wrong."

Still, Manziel, for all his ability, represents a gamble.

"Russell (Wilson) was extremely successful this year," Arizona coach Bruce Arians conceded. "I think we're starting to see some guys that we can compare him to.

"But there are a bunch of 6-5 successful guys who are athletic. But 5-11 guys, it has to throw a question mark at you."

Manziel answered the media's questions for 15 minutes with neither a pause nor a blink Friday. Then he was off to the interviews that matter most, with any of the 32 NFL teams that have an interest.

Manziel promised to answer every question. On his agent's advice, he decided not to throw at the Combine, which is common among top prospects, but he said he will make every throw that is asked to attempt and again field questions during A&M's pro day on March 27.

There is one thing no one questions, and it probably will be the tipping point in the decision one team will inevitably make in drafting him.

"His competitiveness is intriguing," said Dave Caldwell, general manager of the Jacksonville Jaguars, who own the third pick and need a quarterback. "Just his ability to win and compete and move the team is something that's really intriguing."

Email Star reporter Phil Richards at phil.richards@indystar.com and follow him on Twitter at @philrichards6