Johnny Manziel's family has hired an El Paso, Texas, attorney with experience in NCAA matters as the Heisman Trophy winner faces an investigation into whether he was paid to sign autographs.
ESPN has reported that Manziel is being examined for allegedly signing autographs for money before last January's BCS title game between Alabama and Notre Dame. Such a deal would compromise Manziel's status as an amateur.
Jim Darnell will represent the Texas A&M quarterback.
"There's no question Johnny's signed autographs," Darnell said on "The Herd with Colin Cowherd" on ESPN Radio on Friday. "He's signed hundreds over the year. … I haven't seen anything yet that shows he got paid."
On Thursday, Darnell told USA Today that "we're working through the process. He's cooperating with the investigation. We think when all this comes out on the other end, he'll be the starting quarterback for the Aggies against Rice" in the season opener Aug. 31.
Darnell was asked Friday if Manziel is "bothered, anxious, angry or scared."
"He's like every other 20-year-old kid. … When you get this many people accusing you of things, you get scared," Darnell said. "The good thing he has going for him is he knows what happened. Now that he's playing football, he's back in his world and he's back doing something he does really well."
The Manziels say that, in compliance with NCAA regulations, Johnny Manziel and no other member of the family will comment publicly about the investigation.
Darnell says he has no prior relationship with the Manziels. He says he has worked on numerous NCAA cases, most notably representing Baylor when its basketball program was sanctioned in the early 2000s and former USC basketball coach Tim Floyd.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.