Johnny Manziel still has little love lost for Alabama fans after all these years.
The former Heisman Trophy winner was spotted on the sidelines during Saturday’s game between No. 16 Vanderbilt and No. 10 Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Manziel was rocking a Diego Pavia jersey in support of the Commodores quarterback.
Trailing 20-14 to start the fourth quarter, Vanderbilt had a chance for a go-ahead run with 1st-and-10 at Alabama’s 17. The window of opportunity slammed shut once Pavia got picked off on the very next play. The Crimson Tide held on for a 30-14 win.
BAMA PICKS OFF DIEGO PAVIA IN THE FOURTH 👀 pic.twitter.com/46yMmIsl0D
— ESPN (@espn) October 4, 2025
With Vanderbilt crumbling in the final period, Manziel was in a dour mood late in the game. He had a heated exchange with a fan during the closing minutes of the contest. Manziel also gave the fan an unsavory two-finger salute.
Johnny Manziel taking Vanderbilt’s loss very well i see pic.twitter.com/nSo1FwO710
— Nick Balenger (@Nick_Balenger) October 4, 2025
Johnny Manziel flipping off the Alabama student section, only in the SEC 😭 pic.twitter.com/Wmpcj8xmNP
— Old Row Sports (@OldRowSports) October 5, 2025
Manziel famously led Texas A&M to an upset win over Alabama in 2012. He did it in front of the very same fans in Tuscaloosa.
Manziel’s animosity with Alabama fans may have partly led to his friendship with Pavia, who similarly upset Alabama over a decade later. Vanderbilt’s stunning win over Alabama last season blessed college football fans with Pavia’s iconic postgame interview.
Pavia was unable to recreate the result on Saturday. The senior went 21/35 for 198 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He got thoroughly outplayed by Crimson Tide counterpart Ty Simpson, who threw for 340 yards and a pair of TDs.
