Johnny Manziel may have caused some Texas A&M fans' hearts to sink when he said he is ready for the NFL, but it was not an announcement, just a self-evaluation.

According to ESPN, Manziel told reporters at the Home Depot College Football Awards in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., "In my mind, I think I am [ready]" to compete in the NFL. He also hinted his official decision whether to stay at A&M or declare for the draft may come after the Chick-fil-A Bowl on Dec. 31 against Duke.

He said he plans to speak with his family, Aggies head football coach Kevin Sumlin, co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Jake Spavital and his private quarterback coach Gary Whitfield Jr.

He went on ESPN's SVP and Russillo radio show and said he is not going to rush his decision.

"It's all about being ready," he said. "Are you ready to make that step to the next level with two years left on the table to come back and go to school? Just from here on out the main focus is this bowl game. But secondly, I am thinking about this."

He told Scott Van Pelt he was very satisfied with his play over the course of the season, saying he felt as though he improved as a pocket passer. While his improved QB rating would support that, he also said losing to LSU and Missouri at the end of the season left him frustrated.

He also delved into his personal relationship with Miami Heat superstar LeBron James. Manziel said the defending two-time NBA champ served as his mentor in handling the spotlight at a young age.

"[James] texted me every day whether it was words of advice or whatever it was," he said. "To check in on me and make sure I wasn't getting crushed by all this or it wasn't getting to me too much. I'm extremely thankful for him."

Manziel told Van Pelt he is focused on the Aggies' bowl game against Duke, but also did not set a timeline for his decision. He said the next steps he plans on taking are to submit a draft evaluation, consider those results and weigh his options.

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