Ej Manuel

Erik “Ej” Manuel Jr. was born on March 19, 1990, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He pursued his football passion at Bayside High School, where he achieved recognition as an All-American quarterback, accumulating nearly 7,400 yards and 68 touchdowns. His collegiate career continued at Florida State University, where he played for the Florida State Seminoles. Manuel distinguished himself by becoming only the second collegiate quarterback to win four consecutive bowl games, a feat he accomplished between 2009 and 2012. During his senior year in 2012, he guided the Seminoles to an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship and a victory in the Orange Bowl, concluding with a 12-win season. He ended his college tenure with 25 wins and 6 losses as a starter, securing a BCS bowl win for Florida State. Manuel left a notable mark on Florida State’s history, throwing for 3,392 yards in his senior season, the second-highest in team history at that time, and contributing to the offense’s most prolific season with 6,591 total yards.

Manuel was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft as the 16th overall pick, making him the sole quarterback drafted in the first round that year. He signed a fully guaranteed four-year contract worth $8.88 million. In his rookie season (2013), he started 10 games, completing 180 of 306 passes for 1,972 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions, also achieving 186 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns. He led a fourth-quarter comeback in Week 2 against the Carolina Panthers and earned the “Pepsi Next NFL Rookie of the Week” award. During the 2014 season, Manuel started four games for the Bills before being benched in favor of Kyle Orton, with totals of 838 passing yards, 5 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. The 2015 season saw Manuel serving as a backup, making two starts and recording 561 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions. He played in six games in 2016, making one start, before his departure from the Bills.

In 2017, Manuel joined the Oakland Raiders, starting one game and playing in two, where he accumulated 265 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. He re-signed with the Raiders in March 2018 but was released before the start of the season. Manuel then signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in February 2019 but announced his retirement from professional football on May 13, 2019. Following his retirement, Manuel transitioned into a role as a college football analyst for the ACC Network, a position he commenced in June 2019.