It took 4 seconds for Jimbo Fisher to do the right thing.

That’s it. It didn’t even look like it was something that he thought about. It just seemed to come natural to him. After the new Texas A&M coach finished his spring football availability on Friday, he probably forgot the question was even asked.

“(Johnny) Manziel was throwing at San Diego and their pro day today. Are there any plans for him to come throw here next week?”

Four seconds. That’s how long it took for Fisher to welcome Manziel with open arms. It would have been an easy spot for Fisher to duck the question. He could have said he hadn’t been asked about anything like that before.

Instead, he gave Manziel a proper Southern welcome.

It sounds like such a simple thing. Why would Manziel need to be welcomed back to his alma mater, where he won a Heisman Trophy and turned college football on its head? Isn’t that a given?

Believe it or not, it isn’t. You never know how a new coach is going to embrace the past, whether it’s good or bad.

It wasn’t long ago that Jim McElwain basically turned up his nose to Steve Spurrier and others who helped make Florida one of the premier programs in the country. McElwain was so anal about trying to succeed his way that he never grasped the importance of appreciating the program’s history.

Fisher doesn’t look like someone who wants to take that road. Good. He shouldn’t. It’s a dead end that leads to a swift kick out the door.

Nobody is saying that every college program should embrace someone who won a lot of games, regardless of what they did off the field. Baylor probably isn’t marketing “home of the legendary Art Briles!” At least I hope not.

Embracing someone with Manziel’s past and present is a different story.

Can you imagine what it would look like if Texas A&M wanted nothing to do with Manziel anymore? Here was a guy who probably brought more revenue and attention to the university than just about anyone. He did more than just make Texas A&M immediately relevant in its financially-motivated move to the SEC. Manziel raised the bar for the Aggies (probably a little too high).

Credit: C. Morgan Engel-USA TODAY Sports

In an ironic way, Manziel’s overnight stardom probably had an indirect impact on Fisher coming to College Station. I can’t help but think Kevin Sumlin — a guy Manziel stuck with after the coaching staff who recruited him was fired — was let go because of the massive expectations after that 2012 season. The motivation to go out and pay Fisher $75 million in guaranteed money was all fueled by the desire to get back to that 2012 success.

I’m sure Fisher hasn’t thought about it like that. Manziel probably hasn’t, either. They’ve both got bigger priorities in their whirlwind lives.

For Manziel, his roller coaster life the past few years made him realize who his true friends were. Through all of it —the drug usage, the NFL suspension, the assault charges, the years of negative press — he still has Texas A&M there with him. That says a lot.

I can’t say with certainty that every university and fan base would still be on Manziel’s side as he attempts #COMEBACKSZN. None of Manziel’s off-field baggage was associated with Fisher in any way, yet it seems that he understands how much Manziel means to Texas A&M. That turning its back on Manziel during his time of need wouldn’t be right.

What is right is being a support system. It was right for Texas A&M to open the doors to its facility and let “Good Morning America” shoot an extremely open, honest interview with Manziel about his struggles and path to redemption. The easy thing would have been to have Manziel shoot that at some high school field and to not let A&M’s facility be the backdrop for a conversation about addiction and bipolar disorder.

The truth is it was easy to support Manziel a few years ago. His name and face were probably on every piece of recruiting mail the program sent out from 2013-15. The Aggies probably couldn’t give Manziel enough gear to wear around the clock, especially as he prepared for the NFL Draft.

Now, Manziel will have the chance to benefit off of A&M’s resources. Having an open invitation to throw in front of a bunch of NFL teams isn’t something that Manziel takes for granted anymore. Whether Fisher realized it or not, he did something that’ll be appreciated for years to come.

And all it took was 4 seconds.