ORLANDO MAGIC

MANZIEL MAKES ‘ORLANDO MAGIC’ FOR ONE FAMILY
A&M QB gives Oregon-based Aggies quite a thrill

By Rusty Burson
12th Man Magazine

ORLANDO, Fla.—Colin Robertson booked his dream family vacation for early December 2012 at Disney World many months earlier, choosing randomly to stay at the Boardwalk Hotel. He could have never envisioned when he made those travel plans that he and his two sons, Tyler and Tommy, would experience the biggest thrill of their entire vacation without setting foot in one of the theme parks.

Robertson and his family live in Oregon, where his wife, Jennifer, earned her undergraduate degree at Oregon State. But the couple actually met after Colin left the Navy and Jennifer began pursuing her graduate degree at Texas A&M, which she earned in 1999. The couple’s oldest son, Tyler, was born in Bryan in 1996, and the entire family may represent the four most passionate Aggie fans in Wilsonville, Ore.

So, you can imagine their surprise—and sheer delight—when they discovered, by chance, that the Home Depot College Football Awards were also being held at the hotel at the same time as their trip. And they were ecstatic about the possibility of bumping into Texas A&M redshirt freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel.

While Manziel and Texas A&M offensive lineman Luke Joeckel were being interviewed by throngs of media members inside one of the meeting rooms at the Boardwalk Hotel Convention Center on Dec. 5, the Robertson family, with all the males donned in maroon and white, waited patiently in hopes that one of the players would possibly exit into the lobby, as opposed to using the back entrance, which most of the other awards candidates did.

After at least 30 minutes of waiting, the family’s persistence paid off. Manziel entered the lobby to be interviewed by ESPN college football reporter Joe Schad. After the interview with Schad was complete, the Robertson family began applauding for Manziel, who stopped momentarily to chat with the family and shake hands with all of the boys.

“My wife is a graduate of Oregon State and Texas A&M, so we are really, really, really glad you didn’t go to Oregon,” Colin Robertson told Manziel. “We are some of your biggest fans, and what a great treat it is for us to meet you here.”

After Manziel departed the lobby, Jennifer Robertson expounded on just how excited her husband was to meet Manziel.

“I no longer have to worry about getting him a Christmas present,” she said with a laugh. “Nothing could top the thrill of meeting Johnny Football, anyway.”