


Returning to the site of his historic upset victory, Johnny Manziel greeted Alabama fans with a two-finger salute.
The former Heisman Trophy winner flipped off the Crimson Tide crowd in the final minutes of No. 10 Alabama’s 30-14 victory over No. 16 Vanderbilt on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.
Manziel, 32, watched from the sidelines in a black Diego Paiva jersey, showing support for the Commodores’ quarterback.
Down 20-14 to start the fourth, Vanderbilt had an opportunity to pull ahead on a 1st-and-10 on Alabama’s 17. But their comeback hopes vanished after Paiva tossed an interception on the very next play.
The Crimson Tide controlled the momentum the rest of the way, stretching their lead by the final whistle.
Manziel grew irritated throughout the contest, with the former Texas A&M star blasting the Commodores’ defense, or lack thereof, on X during the game.

By the closing minutes of the game, his frustration had seemingly boiled over.
The former QB appeared to get in an animated exchange with a fan on the sidelines, taunting the spectator with the Heisman pose before issuing a pair of middle fingers.
Manziel and Paiva formed a bond through a rare, shared experience: leading their teams to historic upsets over Alabama.

Paiva accomplished the feat in 2024, following in the footsteps of the former Texas A&M legend, who famously conquered the Crimson Tide in 2012.
Manziel has taken on a mentor role for the senior quarterback, teaching him to “learn from my mistakes” and to steer clear of being “Johnny off the field,” the former 22nd overall draft pick for the Browns told On3 ahead of Saturday’s game.
It looks like Paiva can add that one to the lesson plan.