1 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: Welcome back to playing dirty sports Scandals were I sportscaster 2 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:15,960 Speaker 1: and scandal server Extraordinariy Jay Harris guide you through some 3 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:19,959 Speaker 1: of sports darkest chapters. You may recall that last week 4 00:00:20,000 --> 00:00:22,400 Speaker 1: we kicked off the Johnny Manziel or should I say 5 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:27,640 Speaker 1: Johnny Football story about an unbelievably gifted quarterback struggling to 6 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:31,320 Speaker 1: toe the line off the GridION. Were Johnny's off field 7 00:00:31,360 --> 00:00:35,839 Speaker 1: antics from NCAA violation, breaches and fights to fake id's 8 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 1: and late night partying end his career at the college level? 9 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: Or was he destined for the NFL? I? Yes, all 10 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:53,519 Speaker 1: the ingredients were in the mix for Johnny Football to 11 00:00:53,560 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 1: become a legend. Unparalleled athleticism check, charisma check a doring 12 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 1: fans check. But would he ultimately score his dream touchdown 13 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 1: by turning pro? Time would tell? Now. You might remember 14 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: that Johnny had been red shirted by a Texas A 15 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:15,119 Speaker 1: and M head coach Kevin Sumler. This meant that even 16 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:19,119 Speaker 1: though college sophomores typically aren't eligible for the NFL draft, 17 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:23,399 Speaker 1: Johnny was since he was in his third academic year 18 00:01:23,959 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 1: remember his first technical year. As in Aggie had been 19 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:31,160 Speaker 1: taking classes and training with the team his second year 20 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:34,399 Speaker 1: had been his freshman football debut, and so by his 21 00:01:34,520 --> 00:01:38,920 Speaker 1: sophomore year, Johnny had completed sufficient college for the showpiece event, 22 00:01:39,319 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: the NFL Draft. But even though Johnny Manziel could be 23 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:46,959 Speaker 1: drafted under eligibility rules, there were some who didn't believe 24 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:51,080 Speaker 1: he should head to the NFL, at least not yet. 25 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: First and foremost, Johnny's parents seemed to be concerned about 26 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 1: their erratic son turning pro in the midst of his 27 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: slew of public flare ups, even though they knew that 28 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: if Johnny did go to the NFL, he would likely 29 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:08,840 Speaker 1: gain millions of dollars in sponsorships out the gate. According 30 00:02:08,840 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 1: to the Bleacher Report, after winning the twenty twelve Heisman Trophy, 31 00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:15,480 Speaker 1: Johnny Manziel estimated that he would have been worth probably 32 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:19,040 Speaker 1: ten million dollars in NIL endorsements after his red shirt 33 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: sophomore season, and could have collected five million through his 34 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:26,920 Speaker 1: social media channels alone. The fact that Johnny's financial prospects 35 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 1: were so strong in this moment underscore at least some 36 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 1: of the probable logic behind his father's next move. Paul 37 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:39,920 Speaker 1: Manziel met with Texas A and M head coach Kevin 38 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:42,920 Speaker 1: Sumlin and tried to cut a deal for Johnny to 39 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 1: see his college education through. Johnny himself recounted what apparently 40 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: went down on Shannon Sharp's Club Shay Shape podcast, saying 41 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 1: it was the spring of twenty fourteen, or maybe December 42 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 1: twenty thirteen, right in there about December or January, and 43 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 1: I'm getting ready to make this say on if I'm 44 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:03,280 Speaker 1: going to the NFL Draft or if I'm going to 45 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 1: stay at Texas A and M. I didn't find this 46 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:08,360 Speaker 1: out until five years later from my dad. But my 47 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,400 Speaker 1: dad went and had a meeting with Kevin Sumlet and 48 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:13,800 Speaker 1: pretty much went to him manned man and was like, 49 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: we'll take three million dollars and he'll stay for the 50 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 1: next two years. Interesting, huh. Now, this practice wasn't unique 51 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 1: to the Manziell family. These types of transactions were part 52 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: of a long standing tradition in collegiate sports, reflecting the 53 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:33,919 Speaker 1: secretive yet widespread practice of under the table deals before 54 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:37,560 Speaker 1: the era of name, image and likeness agreements. But it 55 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: was noteworthy that Johnny Manziel's dad tried to cut a 56 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: pay to play deal with A and M that would 57 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: have almost certainly been far less than his son's earnings 58 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: in the NFL. We can only speculate on Paul Manziel's motivations, but, 59 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: as most parents would agree, keeping your kid out of 60 00:03:55,680 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: trouble is priceless, and maybe, just maybe Paul Aul Manziel 61 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:03,520 Speaker 1: believed that giving Johnny more time to mature before turning 62 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:07,880 Speaker 1: pro would ultimately pay off in spades. But as the 63 00:04:07,960 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 1: saying goes, the devil fools with the best laid plans, 64 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: and Paul Manziel's attempt was quickly thwarted when coach Kevin 65 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:19,880 Speaker 1: Sumlin and Texas A and M did not agree to 66 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:23,920 Speaker 1: cutting the discreete deal. Given that the college's donations had 67 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: more than doubled due to Johnny's playing, it's actually remarkable 68 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:30,279 Speaker 1: that the school turned down the offer to keep him 69 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 1: for two more years for just three million dollars. Perhaps 70 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:37,279 Speaker 1: A and M was unique in its institutional commitment to 71 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:41,320 Speaker 1: not playing dirty, or perhaps the administration had a feeling 72 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:43,880 Speaker 1: that Johnny football was about to go off the rails 73 00:04:43,920 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 1: and become a liability. In any event, Rumor has it 74 00:04:47,120 --> 00:04:50,480 Speaker 1: that coach Sumlin laughed at Paul Manziel's proposal and no 75 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 1: money changed hands, So Johnny Manziel riding high as one 76 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: of college football's biggest breakout stars was headed for the 77 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 1: NFL Draft. You probably think that's the sound of a 78 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:07,760 Speaker 1: drink being excitedly poured, but you'd be wrong. That's the 79 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 1: sound that almost unraveled Johnny Manziel's NFL career before it 80 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 1: had even begun. A positive drug test. Nobody could believe it. 81 00:05:20,360 --> 00:05:25,920 Speaker 1: In Netflix's documentary Untold Johnny Football, Johnny Manziel's agent, Eric 82 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:29,000 Speaker 1: Burkhardt recalls how flummoxed he was that his client had 83 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:33,840 Speaker 1: risked flushing away his draft chances. According to Eric, there 84 00:05:33,880 --> 00:05:37,720 Speaker 1: had been a rigorous drug testing regimen set up, especially 85 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:41,359 Speaker 1: to ensure that Johnny was clean at this pivotal moment. 86 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 1: I knew Johnny's habits would be an issue, so I 87 00:05:44,880 --> 00:05:48,520 Speaker 1: wanted proof he was drug free, the frustrated agent explained. 88 00:05:49,040 --> 00:05:52,039 Speaker 1: But somehow, despite the tight structure put in place to 89 00:05:52,040 --> 00:05:56,960 Speaker 1: support Johnny's success, a week before the scouting combine, he lapsed. 90 00:05:58,040 --> 00:06:01,159 Speaker 1: Johnny attended a party in Hollywood, and the next morning 91 00:06:01,640 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 1: it became clear to him and everyone on his team 92 00:06:04,240 --> 00:06:07,960 Speaker 1: that he partied far too hard. Fearing that a positive 93 00:06:08,040 --> 00:06:10,679 Speaker 1: drug test on the day of the combine could plummet 94 00:06:10,720 --> 00:06:13,560 Speaker 1: his draft stock from a potential first round pick to 95 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 1: possibly going undrafted altogether. Eric advised Johnny to skip the combine. 96 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:24,039 Speaker 1: Did Johnny listen though, Well, at this point I think 97 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 1: you know the answer to that. Johnny was determined to 98 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 1: attend the scouting combine and so backed into an impossible position. 99 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:37,080 Speaker 1: Eric put on his agent problem solving hat and devised 100 00:06:37,120 --> 00:06:40,840 Speaker 1: a plan. And not just any plan. It was an 101 00:06:40,960 --> 00:06:46,640 Speaker 1: absolute shocker. I called Johnny's parents, Paula Michelle, Eric admitted 102 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:50,320 Speaker 1: in the Netflix documentary years later. I said, you're checking 103 00:06:50,360 --> 00:06:53,360 Speaker 1: yourself into the hospital, Paul with a heavy heart, so 104 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:56,039 Speaker 1: that Johnny can divert and come to the combine for 105 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 1: twelve hours so that it doesn't look weird. We'll put 106 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:01,920 Speaker 1: him on a place to go see dad in the hospital. 107 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 1: But this scheme was rejected by Johnny when he caught 108 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 1: wind of it, and the troublesome quarterback took the situation 109 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 1: into his own hands. According to Eric, Johnny came to 110 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:14,720 Speaker 1: him and said, I've been passing these tests at A 111 00:07:14,840 --> 00:07:17,360 Speaker 1: and M for a while, and then he revealed, in 112 00:07:17,440 --> 00:07:21,360 Speaker 1: a shocking confession of cheating, that it had actually been 113 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: the Aggie's fourth string quarterback, providing clean urine samples for him. 114 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: All along. Johnny had also picked up another trick that 115 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:33,440 Speaker 1: he could chug water and flush the toxins from his system. 116 00:07:33,800 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 1: Since he could hardly take the fourth string Aggie's quarterback 117 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 1: to the scouting combine without raising eyebrows, Johnny went for 118 00:07:39,880 --> 00:07:44,760 Speaker 1: his ladder strategy. He crushed liquids and continued taking drug 119 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:48,840 Speaker 1: tests in Eric Burkhardt's room until the results were satisfactory 120 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:53,480 Speaker 1: to them. Both. Against all the odds, Johnny Manziel performed 121 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 1: well at the NFL scouting combine, but there was the 122 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 1: constant churn of self inflicted challenge around Johnny Manziel by 123 00:08:04,280 --> 00:08:08,680 Speaker 1: this time, and so it was sadly no surprise to 124 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:11,720 Speaker 1: anyone that the relief of getting through the scouting combine 125 00:08:12,040 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 1: was short lived. Eric Burkhardt, who frankly sounds like the 126 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:20,680 Speaker 1: most committed agent going, had arranged a private workout for 127 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 1: his client with the Cleveland Browns coaches at Texas A 128 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:26,560 Speaker 1: and M's indoor facility to give Johnny a chance to 129 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:30,600 Speaker 1: flex his skills for the pros. But was Johnny appreciative 130 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:34,920 Speaker 1: of his agent's efforts. Nope. Imagine the morning when it 131 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:38,200 Speaker 1: was time for the private workout, and the receiver's schedule 132 00:08:38,280 --> 00:08:43,040 Speaker 1: to work with Johnny Manziel were no shows. Why because 133 00:08:43,120 --> 00:08:46,199 Speaker 1: the dinner in College Station with the Cleveland Browns executives 134 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:49,160 Speaker 1: the night before had gotten out of hand, with Johnny 135 00:08:49,240 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 1: himself at the heart of the celebrations. By the time 136 00:08:52,800 --> 00:08:55,320 Speaker 1: everyone was due to meet up for the private practice 137 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 1: the next morning, one receiver was missing and another one 138 00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:02,480 Speaker 1: was so drunk he could get up. Johnny, who was 139 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:05,640 Speaker 1: used to playing after partying, did show up, but his 140 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:09,520 Speaker 1: opportunity to demonstrate his abilities with the Cleveland Browns coaches 141 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 1: was scuppered. It was Easter weekend, so literally nobody was 142 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:16,440 Speaker 1: on campus, and the workout was at A and m's 143 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 1: indoor facility. In the previous night's haze, somehow, Johnny also 144 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 1: lost his bag. Eric Burkhardt tweeted later detailing the chaos 145 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 1: of the day. Without cleats or proper attire, Johnny and 146 00:09:29,679 --> 00:09:34,360 Speaker 1: his support team faced an almost comical predicament. Keep in mind, 147 00:09:34,960 --> 00:09:38,200 Speaker 1: we had just negotiated the largest shoe deal ever in 148 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 1: the history of the NFL pre draft with Nike. Eric 149 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 1: at it, emphasizing the irony of the situation. We had 150 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:50,640 Speaker 1: a whole Johnny football line with royalties, etc. And still 151 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:55,280 Speaker 1: couldn't manage to get dressed properly. With the workout looming 152 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:58,800 Speaker 1: at eight am, two Aggie receivers as no shows thanks 153 00:09:58,840 --> 00:10:01,960 Speaker 1: to their night out with Johnny and no possibility to 154 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:06,240 Speaker 1: buy new gear in time, desperation led to drastic measures. 155 00:10:06,920 --> 00:10:09,280 Speaker 1: The equipment staff and coaches were out of town for 156 00:10:09,360 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 1: Eastern so we literally had to break into the equipment 157 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: cage at A and M with like a tire iron. 158 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:20,280 Speaker 1: Eric revealed. Then Johnny ended up wearing oversized Adidas cleats 159 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:23,200 Speaker 1: and tiny A and M shorts that he had worn 160 00:10:23,280 --> 00:10:26,320 Speaker 1: under his genes the night before as Eric and Johnny's 161 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:31,199 Speaker 1: attorney stood in for the missing NFL receivers. This frenzied 162 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:37,240 Speaker 1: situation at yet another future determining event perfectly encapsulated the 163 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 1: unpredictable and often have hazard nature of Johnny Manzel's journey 164 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 1: to the NFL, characterized by his immense talent on the 165 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:50,679 Speaker 1: field and his equally immense challenges off it. The private session, 166 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:54,640 Speaker 1: although far from conventional, was viewed by the Cleveland Browns 167 00:10:54,679 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 1: executives and highlighted the links to which his team would 168 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:00,960 Speaker 1: go to keep his professional dreams on track in spite 169 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:06,559 Speaker 1: of Johnny himself. As the date of the NFL Draft 170 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:11,080 Speaker 1: drew ever nearer, the spotlight on Johnny Manziel grew increasingly intense. 171 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:15,080 Speaker 1: His every move was scrutinized not just by the media 172 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 1: now but by potential NFL teams. In twenty fourteen, with 173 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:23,960 Speaker 1: the Houston Texans holding the coveted first overall pick, speculations 174 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:27,400 Speaker 1: surged around whether Johnny Manziel could be selected to continue 175 00:11:27,400 --> 00:11:31,160 Speaker 1: his football career in his home state of Texas. His 176 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 1: lone star fans certainly wanted to keep him around. In fact, 177 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:39,440 Speaker 1: one Influentio Texas Han m fan even commissioned a billboard 178 00:11:39,520 --> 00:11:43,240 Speaker 1: in the Houston area encouraging the Houston Texans said draft 179 00:11:43,280 --> 00:11:47,120 Speaker 1: Johnny with the first pick. The billboard read keep Johnny 180 00:11:47,160 --> 00:11:51,600 Speaker 1: football in Texas, and initially it seemed as though the 181 00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:55,760 Speaker 1: fans would have their way. Interactions between Johnny Manziel and 182 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:59,920 Speaker 1: the Houston Texans began positively. Johnny was pulling out all 183 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:02,200 Speaker 1: all the stops to make a good impression with his 184 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:07,880 Speaker 1: top pick. He even participated in an uncharacteristically drama free 185 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 1: manner at a major charity event at the river Oaks 186 00:12:11,400 --> 00:12:15,280 Speaker 1: Country Club in Houston. The Texans owner, Bob McNair and 187 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:19,200 Speaker 1: his wife Janis were likely impressed to see Johnny contributing 188 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:21,800 Speaker 1: his own money to the charity. In the words of 189 00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 1: Johnny's agent, Eric, the event was a phenomenal success. But 190 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 1: in typical Johnny Manziel fashion, this momentum in the right 191 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:34,440 Speaker 1: direction came to an abrupt halt the very next day 192 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:39,320 Speaker 1: when he exercised grossly inappropriate behavior on the river Oaks 193 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:43,560 Speaker 1: country Club golf course. Johnny recounted receiving the call that 194 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:48,760 Speaker 1: would significantly dampen Johnny's prospects with the Texans. The next day, 195 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 1: I get a call, Eric's shared in the Netflix documentary. 196 00:12:52,280 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 1: They said Johnny was golfing today at river Oaks Country Club, 197 00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:58,079 Speaker 1: and it got back to the owner's family that Johnny 198 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:03,160 Speaker 1: by whole five, taking his shirt off, looked intoxicated and 199 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:06,320 Speaker 1: broke multiple clubs over his knee and threw them in 200 00:13:06,320 --> 00:13:11,199 Speaker 1: the pond. There goes Houston, is what I thought. Johnny's 201 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:16,720 Speaker 1: long suffering agent sure had his work cut out for him. 202 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:20,959 Speaker 1: The dream of Johnny Manziel being drafted first overall by 203 00:13:20,960 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 1: the Houston Texans was over. The franchise's owner, Bob McNair 204 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:29,720 Speaker 1: explained to ESPN exactly why he decided to pass on Johnny, saying, 205 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:33,320 Speaker 1: I knew with Manziel that would be a frenzy long term. 206 00:13:33,360 --> 00:13:35,840 Speaker 1: We had questions as to how well he'd fit in 207 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:39,360 Speaker 1: our system doing what we wanted to do, and so 208 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:43,720 Speaker 1: with Houston now definitely off the table, Johnny and Eric 209 00:13:43,800 --> 00:13:47,680 Speaker 1: turned their attention to other options. What other NFL teams 210 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 1: needed a quarterback refresh and how could they best set 211 00:13:51,280 --> 00:13:56,640 Speaker 1: the stage for a now uncertain draft day strategy dictated 212 00:13:56,679 --> 00:13:59,760 Speaker 1: that the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cleveland Browns would be 213 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:03,679 Speaker 1: for picking up Johnny. These teams held the third and 214 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:07,920 Speaker 1: fourth overall picks, respectively, and both franchises were in desperate 215 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:12,000 Speaker 1: need of a quarterback to revitalize their squads. Additionally, the 216 00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:15,480 Speaker 1: Oakland Raiders with the fifth pick, and the Minnesota Vikings, 217 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 1: who held the eighth pick, were also in the mix. 218 00:14:18,679 --> 00:14:22,640 Speaker 1: The air was thick with speculation, with fans and analysts 219 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:26,480 Speaker 1: making predictions and placing bets on where Johnny Football might land, 220 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 1: But as the draft kicked off, it quickly became clear 221 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:34,520 Speaker 1: that the concerns about Johnny's off field behavior and uncertainty 222 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:37,360 Speaker 1: about his transition to the NFL was causing his stock 223 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:41,800 Speaker 1: to slip. One by one. Teams passed on the opportunity 224 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:46,280 Speaker 1: to draft him, opting instead for players with less risk attached. 225 00:14:46,920 --> 00:14:49,800 Speaker 1: The tension in the draft room was palpable as the 226 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:56,320 Speaker 1: picks ticked by, with Johnny's name conspicuously unmentioned. The weight 227 00:14:56,440 --> 00:14:59,880 Speaker 1: stretched on for over three hours. It was an agon 228 00:15:00,520 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 1: period for Johnny Manzil, who had entered the draft with 229 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:07,840 Speaker 1: hopes of a top pick. Finally, a pivotal moment came 230 00:15:08,000 --> 00:15:11,760 Speaker 1: that would change the course of the evening. Cleveland Brown's 231 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:16,000 Speaker 1: quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggins later revealed after the draft in 232 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: a radio interview on Sports Talk with Bo Mattingly that 233 00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:23,120 Speaker 1: a message came to him directly from Johnny and made 234 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:27,560 Speaker 1: all the difference. As Johnny saw himself sliding down the 235 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:31,680 Speaker 1: draft board, he texted coach Dowell Loggins, I wish you 236 00:15:31,760 --> 00:15:34,720 Speaker 1: guys would come get me. Hurry up and draft me, 237 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:38,800 Speaker 1: because I want to wreck this league together. This message, 238 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:43,600 Speaker 1: infused with Johnny's characteristic boldness and desire to make an impact, 239 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 1: resonated strongly. Coach Loggins, moved by Johnny's enthusiasm, quickly forwarded 240 00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:52,440 Speaker 1: the message to the rest of the Cleveland Browns staff 241 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:56,040 Speaker 1: and administration. When I got that text, I forwarded to 242 00:15:56,080 --> 00:15:59,160 Speaker 1: the owner, Jimmy Haslam, and to the head coach, Mike Petton. 243 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:03,240 Speaker 1: I'm like, this guy wants to be here, he wants 244 00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:05,920 Speaker 1: to be part of it. As soon as that happened, 245 00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:09,840 Speaker 1: mister Haslam said, pull the trigger. We're trading up to 246 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:14,120 Speaker 1: get this guy, And just like that, Johnny Manziel had 247 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 1: once again put himself back in play. The Cleveland Browns, 248 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 1: a team that had historically struggled with quarterback stability, saw 249 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:26,480 Speaker 1: in Johnny Manziel not just a talented player, but that 250 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:30,160 Speaker 1: spark of potential brilliance that could turn their fortune around. 251 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:33,200 Speaker 1: After all, the Cleveland Browns were one of only four 252 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:36,520 Speaker 1: teams never to appear in a Super Bowl, a drought 253 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:41,280 Speaker 1: of decades. Driven by Johnny Manziel's eagerness and maybe their 254 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,720 Speaker 1: own desperation, the Browns moved up four spots to select 255 00:16:44,760 --> 00:16:48,120 Speaker 1: Johnny at number twenty two, deciding to take the plunge 256 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 1: and bring into their fold the player who promised to 257 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:56,960 Speaker 1: quote wreck the league. The immediate impact of Johnny Manziel's 258 00:16:56,960 --> 00:17:01,280 Speaker 1: selection was nothing short of explosive. Within just twenty five 259 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:04,200 Speaker 1: minutes of announcing his draft, the Cleveland Browns had sold 260 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:07,960 Speaker 1: two hundred new season tickets and seen an additional three 261 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:12,360 Speaker 1: hundred renewals. The excitement was palpable, as the team vice 262 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:15,320 Speaker 1: president shared that the phones were ringing off the hook, 263 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:20,119 Speaker 1: signaling a surge of renewed interest and optimism among the 264 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:24,480 Speaker 1: Cleveland Browns fan base. Meanwhile, the buzz spread to social media, 265 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:27,879 Speaker 1: where another Browns executive posted a photo of the newly 266 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:31,359 Speaker 1: minted Johnny Manzil jerseys now available at the team shop, 267 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:34,720 Speaker 1: ready for eager fans looking to don the number of 268 00:17:34,760 --> 00:17:39,040 Speaker 1: their new quarterback. This whirlwind of activity underscored the high 269 00:17:39,119 --> 00:17:43,879 Speaker 1: hopes and high stakes accompanying Johnny's arrival in Cleveland. Given 270 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:47,119 Speaker 1: his history, this high level of pressure on Johnny was 271 00:17:47,359 --> 00:17:53,360 Speaker 1: never likely to end well. Okay, get hydrated and brace yourself, 272 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:56,240 Speaker 1: because we're about to take a wild ride on Johnny 273 00:17:56,240 --> 00:18:01,040 Speaker 1: Manziel's roller coaster NFL career enter the league with a 274 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:04,119 Speaker 1: chip on his shoulder and an on field reputation to 275 00:18:04,200 --> 00:18:07,359 Speaker 1: defend the long wait on draft day and slide to 276 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:10,360 Speaker 1: the twenty second overall pick. Had been humbling for Johnny, 277 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:14,360 Speaker 1: who was accustomed to fanfare and adulation from his college 278 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:18,080 Speaker 1: station fans at Texas A and M. In fact, Johnny 279 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:20,879 Speaker 1: told the press that he would remember the teams that 280 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:23,840 Speaker 1: did not pick him. I'm going to take a very 281 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 1: aggressive mindset into it, Johnny said. I'm going to work 282 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 1: extremely hard to get what I want, and I know 283 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:33,240 Speaker 1: what that is. I want to win and I want 284 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:36,200 Speaker 1: to be successful. The amount of time I put in 285 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:38,439 Speaker 1: and the heart I put into this, which I know 286 00:18:38,560 --> 00:18:42,720 Speaker 1: I'm capable of doing, will tell the tale. But can 287 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 1: a tiger ever really change its stripes? Johnny's bumpy draft 288 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:51,040 Speaker 1: experience had set the tone for his NFL career. Things 289 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:54,080 Speaker 1: were off to a rocky start, and the drama was 290 00:18:54,359 --> 00:18:58,440 Speaker 1: just beginning. As Johnny suited up in brown and orange 291 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 1: for Cleveland, the excitement and optimism that heralded his arrival 292 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:06,880 Speaker 1: soon gave way to the stark realities of NFL life. 293 00:19:07,000 --> 00:19:10,080 Speaker 1: His time with the Cleveland Browns was characterized by a 294 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:13,959 Speaker 1: series of ups and downs that mirrored his tumultuous tenure 295 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:17,560 Speaker 1: at Texas A and M. Initially, the franchise and its 296 00:19:17,560 --> 00:19:21,280 Speaker 1: fans hoped that Johnny's dynamic abilities could translate into a 297 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:25,240 Speaker 1: revitalizing force for a team in desperate need of a turnaround, 298 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:30,080 Speaker 1: but not all college stars translate to knockout professional athletes, 299 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:34,080 Speaker 1: and Johnny's rookie season was a mixture of brief flashes 300 00:19:34,119 --> 00:19:38,040 Speaker 1: of potential coupled with struggles both on and off the field. 301 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:42,600 Speaker 1: Within months of his NFL debut, Johnny was fined twelve 302 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:45,440 Speaker 1: thousand dollars by the NFL for giving the middle finger 303 00:19:45,560 --> 00:19:49,399 Speaker 1: to the Washington Redskins bench during a preseason game. But 304 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:54,000 Speaker 1: perhaps more worrying for the Cleveland Browns was that Johnny's 305 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:59,960 Speaker 1: improvisational playing style, while electrifying in college, faced different hurdles 306 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:03,960 Speaker 1: in the structured environment of professional football, and their new 307 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:07,439 Speaker 1: recruit wasn't putting in the work required to level up 308 00:20:07,480 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 1: his skills. Several sources within the team indicated that Johnny 309 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 1: Manziel struggled with the basics of play calling. On multiple occasions, 310 00:20:16,480 --> 00:20:18,840 Speaker 1: he seemed not to know the plays in the huddle 311 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:23,040 Speaker 1: or didn't call them correctly, raising concerns about his grasp 312 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:26,480 Speaker 1: of the playbook. Johnny's off the cuff playing style was 313 00:20:26,520 --> 00:20:30,640 Speaker 1: simply not working in the NFL, and despite Johnny's pledge 314 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:33,800 Speaker 1: to do everything he could to succeed. It was soon 315 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 1: clear that these were empty words. After all, the bare 316 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:40,400 Speaker 1: minimum for a quarterback in the NFL is to learn 317 00:20:40,440 --> 00:20:46,920 Speaker 1: the playbook. Don't you think one of the responsibilities of 318 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 1: NFL players is to tackle a fundamental aspect of professional 319 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:55,440 Speaker 1: football film study. Film study in football is a crucial 320 00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:58,760 Speaker 1: practice that allows players and coaches to gain a competitive 321 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:04,080 Speaker 1: edge in game. Footage helps players to understand opponents tendencies, 322 00:21:04,520 --> 00:21:11,320 Speaker 1: recognize formations, and anticipate plays. It's absolutely necessary for professional 323 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:15,600 Speaker 1: players to engage in this minimum requirement. Yet, in a 324 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:19,919 Speaker 1: revealing insight from the Netflix documentary about Johnny's career, his 325 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:24,840 Speaker 1: agent Eric Burkhardt, disclosed it while in Cleveland, Johnny never studied. 326 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:29,840 Speaker 1: I mean he never watched tape ever. Not a game, 327 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:34,760 Speaker 1: not a play, not a second nothing. By comparison, some 328 00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:37,560 Speaker 1: of the greatest NFL quarterbacks of all time, players like 329 00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:41,639 Speaker 1: Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, and Patrick Mahomes, are renowned for 330 00:21:41,720 --> 00:21:46,639 Speaker 1: their ferocious film study habits. Johnny's utter lack of effort 331 00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:50,680 Speaker 1: drove the Cleveland Browns management to intervene. The GM called 332 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:53,880 Speaker 1: me and said, he's not watching tape. Eric recounted. When 333 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:56,760 Speaker 1: Eric pressed the GM for more details, asking if Johnny 334 00:21:56,840 --> 00:21:59,439 Speaker 1: had even spent a minimal amount of time on this 335 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:04,280 Speaker 1: crucial task, the reply was stark. Eric, the GM said, 336 00:22:04,359 --> 00:22:09,480 Speaker 1: his iPad hours is zero point zero zero. How was 337 00:22:09,560 --> 00:22:12,480 Speaker 1: super Agent Eric supposed to mitigate the fallout from this 338 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:16,600 Speaker 1: latest bombshell? He could hardly contest the Cleveland Brown's report. 339 00:22:17,320 --> 00:22:19,960 Speaker 1: After all, the team had provided Johnny with an iPad 340 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:23,440 Speaker 1: loaded with game film, which also allowed coaches to track 341 00:22:23,480 --> 00:22:27,320 Speaker 1: his engagement. The tool didn't lie, and so backed into 342 00:22:27,359 --> 00:22:31,639 Speaker 1: a corner. Neither did Johnny. When asked directly about the 343 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:35,639 Speaker 1: time he spent on film study, Johnny simply stated zero. 344 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:40,520 Speaker 1: Only thirty two individuals in the world earned starting quarterback 345 00:22:40,560 --> 00:22:44,600 Speaker 1: positions each week. How infuriating to hear from one of 346 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:48,840 Speaker 1: those talented, immensely lucky few that maintaining such a big 347 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:52,960 Speaker 1: dream wasn't worth even a small effort. But we've all 348 00:22:53,000 --> 00:22:55,440 Speaker 1: heard the saying you get out what you put in, 349 00:22:55,800 --> 00:23:01,200 Speaker 1: and Johnny Manziel was in for a rude awakening. Johnny's 350 00:23:01,200 --> 00:23:04,680 Speaker 1: twenty fourteen NFL season with the Cleveland Browns was lackluster. 351 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:08,720 Speaker 1: He played in five games, started in two and clearly 352 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:12,920 Speaker 1: struggled with the professional level of play. He completed eighteen 353 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:15,480 Speaker 1: of thirty five passes for a total of one hundred 354 00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:21,200 Speaker 1: and seventy five yards, threw no touchdowns, and was intercepted twice. Additionally, 355 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:24,159 Speaker 1: he was sacked three times and rushed for a total 356 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:28,320 Speaker 1: of just twenty nine yards or nine attempts ouch. His 357 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:31,960 Speaker 1: performance was definitely not living up to the spectacle of 358 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:36,600 Speaker 1: the Aggies legendary Johnny football. In fact, another Cleveland Browns 359 00:23:36,640 --> 00:23:41,119 Speaker 1: player anonymously told ESPN that Johnny's entire twenty fourteen season 360 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:46,439 Speaker 1: was one hundred percent joke. This blood assessment echoed broader 361 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 1: concerns within the Cleveland Browns organization about Johnny Manziel's technical 362 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 1: readiness for a professional football and Johnny's off field behavior 363 00:23:55,280 --> 00:24:01,240 Speaker 1: was once again only adding to the franchise's concerns. As 364 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:04,959 Speaker 1: Sports Business journal reporter John Oran put it to NPR 365 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:10,440 Speaker 1: reporter David Green, Johnny Manziel has been photographed partying everywhere 366 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:14,280 Speaker 1: from Las Vegas to bartending at a nightclub in Austin, Texas. 367 00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:18,159 Speaker 1: If you play on an NFL team, people want you 368 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:21,880 Speaker 1: to play inside the lines. They don't like anybody that's 369 00:24:21,920 --> 00:24:25,480 Speaker 1: a swashbuckler that does anything that could potentially be a distraction. 370 00:24:26,119 --> 00:24:32,520 Speaker 1: Johnny Manziel was both distracted and a distraction. Cleveland dot 371 00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:35,800 Speaker 1: Com captured the essence of Johnny Manziel's behavior at this time. 372 00:24:36,200 --> 00:24:39,840 Speaker 1: Writing at the NFL Rookie Symposium in Los Angeles in May, 373 00:24:40,359 --> 00:24:44,000 Speaker 1: just weeks after the draft, Johnny Manziel crawled under a 374 00:24:44,040 --> 00:24:47,200 Speaker 1: skirted table and took a nap during an autograph session 375 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:50,800 Speaker 1: with potential sponsors after a night out with Rapper Drake 376 00:24:50,880 --> 00:24:56,840 Speaker 1: and friends. From there, the Progressive Party traveled to Las Vegas, Austin, Texas, 377 00:24:57,160 --> 00:25:01,600 Speaker 1: and back to Los Angeles. It included Johnny's infamous intoxicated 378 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:05,359 Speaker 1: float on an inflatable swan, making it rain in the club, 379 00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:08,840 Speaker 1: shouting an F bomb into his money foam with bleary eyes, 380 00:25:09,359 --> 00:25:12,600 Speaker 1: a visit to Justin Bieber's house with Floyd Mayweather and friends, 381 00:25:12,760 --> 00:25:17,120 Speaker 1: and more. But the photo the Cleveland Browns found most alarming, 382 00:25:17,320 --> 00:25:20,600 Speaker 1: a source told Northeast Ohio Media Group, was the one 383 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:22,560 Speaker 1: in which he was rolling up a bill in the 384 00:25:22,600 --> 00:25:26,720 Speaker 1: bathroom of a bar on July seventh, twenty fourteen, that 385 00:25:26,920 --> 00:25:33,040 Speaker 1: set the alarm bells off. A disaster was brewing, perhaps 386 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:36,880 Speaker 1: recognizing he had a serious personal and public image problem, 387 00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:40,840 Speaker 1: Johnny Manziel at last took a significant step by entering 388 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:44,560 Speaker 1: a rehab facility at the start of twenty fifteen. This 389 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:48,040 Speaker 1: decision appeared to mark a turning point and was publicly 390 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:52,640 Speaker 1: supported by the Cleveland Browns organization. Coach Mike Patton directly 391 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:57,000 Speaker 1: expressed his support, emphasizing the priority of Johnny Manziel's personal 392 00:25:57,080 --> 00:26:01,040 Speaker 1: recovery over football. For his football to get where it 393 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:04,200 Speaker 1: needs to be, he needs to get the personal life 394 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:08,280 Speaker 1: where it needs to be. Coach Petton said this takes precedence, 395 00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:11,439 Speaker 1: so however much time he needs, the football will be 396 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:15,240 Speaker 1: there when he gets out. The move to enter rehab 397 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:17,960 Speaker 1: was seen as an attempt by Johnny Manziel to confront 398 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:21,640 Speaker 1: his issues head on, acknowledging the impact of his actions 399 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:25,679 Speaker 1: on his professional obligations and personal life. It should have 400 00:26:25,760 --> 00:26:29,480 Speaker 1: been a period of introspection and recovery, but was it. 401 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:36,320 Speaker 1: When Johnny came out of rehab ten weeks later, the 402 00:26:36,359 --> 00:26:41,199 Speaker 1: Cleveland Browns took a cautiously optimistic stance, expressing hope for 403 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:45,080 Speaker 1: a strong twenty fifteen season. Coach Mike Petten seemed proud 404 00:26:45,160 --> 00:26:48,680 Speaker 1: that his young quarterback had invested effort into recovery, saying, 405 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:51,719 Speaker 1: Johnny has worked hard and we expect him to continue 406 00:26:51,760 --> 00:26:55,439 Speaker 1: his positive trajectory. The twenty fifteen season would be a 407 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:58,199 Speaker 1: critical test of Johnny's ability to apply what he had 408 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:00,919 Speaker 1: learned and demonstrate that he he could be both a 409 00:27:00,960 --> 00:27:04,760 Speaker 1: reliable team member and a dynamic playmaker on the field. 410 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:09,720 Speaker 1: Knowing this, coach Patten eased Johnny back into play, commencing 411 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:13,680 Speaker 1: the twenty fifteen NFL season with Johnny as the backup 412 00:27:13,760 --> 00:27:18,120 Speaker 1: quarterback to Josh McCown. This would, in the organization's view, 413 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:22,359 Speaker 1: allow Johnny to rejoin the competitive environment of NFL play 414 00:27:22,960 --> 00:27:26,639 Speaker 1: while remaining under close watch by management who were keen 415 00:27:26,760 --> 00:27:31,680 Speaker 1: to monitor his progress and behavior. But Johnny Manziel's recovery, 416 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:35,520 Speaker 1: growth and new lease on a potential storybook NFL life 417 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:41,240 Speaker 1: was sadly not destined to be. Johnny let himself down 418 00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:45,560 Speaker 1: in a new spectacular fashion by adding domestic violence to 419 00:27:45,640 --> 00:27:49,920 Speaker 1: his litany of bad behaviors. Starting in June twenty fourteen, 420 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:54,280 Speaker 1: Johnny Manziel had gone social media official with Colleen Crowley, 421 00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:57,280 Speaker 1: the daughter of an oil executive, a model, and a 422 00:27:57,320 --> 00:28:01,919 Speaker 1: student at Texas Christian University. Though from the outside looking in, 423 00:28:02,040 --> 00:28:05,359 Speaker 1: Johnny and Colleen seemed like a madly in love power couple, 424 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:09,240 Speaker 1: the reality was that Colleen was privately trying to hold 425 00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:13,560 Speaker 1: Johnny together after his demotion from starting quarterback to back 426 00:28:13,640 --> 00:28:17,160 Speaker 1: up for Josh McCown. Later, in a twenty eighteen interview 427 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:20,120 Speaker 1: with The New York Post, Colleen said, I think there 428 00:28:20,200 --> 00:28:23,280 Speaker 1: was some mental breakdown because the way Johnny was acting. 429 00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:26,760 Speaker 1: It wasn't anything like drugs or alcohol would affect a person. 430 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:34,040 Speaker 1: This was more deep rooted, regardless of what was driving him. 431 00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:37,639 Speaker 1: On October twelfth, twenty fifteen, the cracks in the Johnny 432 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:41,960 Speaker 1: Manziel and Colleen Crowley love facade became public when police 433 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:45,400 Speaker 1: pulled them over in Avon, Ohio after multiple calls about 434 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:49,960 Speaker 1: dangerous speeding. Dash KIM video showed Colleen trying to open 435 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:52,880 Speaker 1: the passenger side door as the car was in motion. 436 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:57,719 Speaker 1: As reported by CNN, Colleen Crowley told police that Johnny 437 00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:00,360 Speaker 1: had hit her several times to prevent her from leaving 438 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:04,880 Speaker 1: the car. However, she downplayed the incident. I don't want 439 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:07,640 Speaker 1: to make a big deal, she said, But even though 440 00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:11,440 Speaker 1: no charges were filed, it certainly was a big deal. 441 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:15,880 Speaker 1: The NFL promptly launched its own investigation into the incident, 442 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:19,760 Speaker 1: and even though they determined not to discipline Johnny Manziel, 443 00:29:20,440 --> 00:29:24,800 Speaker 1: damage had unquestionably been done to his already low bar reputation. 444 00:29:25,560 --> 00:29:28,920 Speaker 1: Confidence in Johnny's ability to be an asset rather than 445 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:33,400 Speaker 1: a liability was now practically non existent, and even public 446 00:29:33,520 --> 00:29:37,920 Speaker 1: opinion had largely soured. In fact, Player Perspective ran an 447 00:29:38,040 --> 00:29:41,560 Speaker 1: article about Johnny football called when is It Okay to 448 00:29:41,600 --> 00:29:45,960 Speaker 1: Be an Asshole? Questioning whether athletes who behaved like Johnny 449 00:29:46,000 --> 00:29:49,880 Speaker 1: were frankly a blight on their sport and society as 450 00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:53,640 Speaker 1: a whole. As twenty fifteen rolled over into twenty sixteen, 451 00:29:53,880 --> 00:29:57,320 Speaker 1: it became clear that Johnny was totally out of control 452 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:02,320 Speaker 1: as another troubling series of events unfolded. On January second, 453 00:30:02,360 --> 00:30:06,360 Speaker 1: twenty sixteen, Johnny was cited by North Olmsted, Ohio police 454 00:30:06,560 --> 00:30:10,360 Speaker 1: for driving with expired plates on the same Nissan FTR 455 00:30:10,480 --> 00:30:14,720 Speaker 1: vehicle involved in his October twenty fifteen incident. Then the 456 00:30:14,880 --> 00:30:18,440 Speaker 1: very next day, he missed a Cleveland Brown's game against 457 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:23,040 Speaker 1: the Pittsburgh Steelers. Reports soon surfaced that Johnny Manzel had 458 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:25,680 Speaker 1: spent the weekend in Las Vegas. Prior to his citation 459 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:29,320 Speaker 1: and missing the game, Johnny had hit Sinn City using 460 00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:32,480 Speaker 1: the alias Billy and dotting a disguise that included a 461 00:30:32,520 --> 00:30:37,600 Speaker 1: fake mustache and a wig. Even taking these precautions, Johnny 462 00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:42,240 Speaker 1: didn't go unnoticed, and soon his escapade was making national headlines. 463 00:30:42,960 --> 00:30:46,400 Speaker 1: This ill timed adventure, just before the Cleveland Browns final 464 00:30:46,440 --> 00:30:50,400 Speaker 1: game of the season, left a bad taste in everyone's mouth. 465 00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:54,800 Speaker 1: I'm talking you tried to blend avocado into a juice 466 00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:59,600 Speaker 1: brad level bad taste. Wide receiver Andrew Hawkins chose his 467 00:30:59,640 --> 00:31:03,080 Speaker 1: words carefully when reflecting on his teammates wild behavior, but 468 00:31:03,200 --> 00:31:10,040 Speaker 1: the message was clear. Johnny's in his own world. The 469 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:13,000 Speaker 1: Cleveland Brown's management and coaching staff were getting fed up 470 00:31:13,040 --> 00:31:16,960 Speaker 1: with Johnny's world. They understandably viewed his decision to party 471 00:31:16,960 --> 00:31:19,760 Speaker 1: in Las Vegas, especially at such a critical time for 472 00:31:19,800 --> 00:31:24,360 Speaker 1: the team, as a blatant disregard for his professional responsibilities 473 00:31:24,480 --> 00:31:29,040 Speaker 1: and a direct challenge to the team's ethos and discipline expectations. 474 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:32,240 Speaker 1: But even as they were working themselves into a lather 475 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:35,080 Speaker 1: trying to figure out how to cope with their increasingly 476 00:31:35,160 --> 00:31:38,560 Speaker 1: off the rails, quarterback Johnny managed to make a bad 477 00:31:38,640 --> 00:31:44,000 Speaker 1: situation worse. On January thirty, at twenty sixteen, Johnny invited 478 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:47,160 Speaker 1: his then ex girlfriend Colleen Crowley to meet him at 479 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:51,000 Speaker 1: Hotels Zaza in Dallas for a party. Colleen had broken 480 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:54,440 Speaker 1: up with Johnny on December fifteenth, twenty fifteen, after months 481 00:31:54,440 --> 00:31:58,440 Speaker 1: of intense instability, but the two had remained in contact 482 00:31:58,720 --> 00:32:00,960 Speaker 1: and it seemed that a renew union might be in 483 00:32:01,000 --> 00:32:05,360 Speaker 1: the cards. According to Cinemahalic, Colleen arrived at Hotel Zazade 484 00:32:05,360 --> 00:32:08,080 Speaker 1: around two am since she'd already been out with her friends, 485 00:32:08,640 --> 00:32:11,239 Speaker 1: but when she tried to leave after briefly catching up 486 00:32:11,280 --> 00:32:15,080 Speaker 1: with Johnny, he refused to let her go. A Fort 487 00:32:15,120 --> 00:32:18,640 Speaker 1: Worth police report obtained by ESPN later revealed that Johnny 488 00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:23,200 Speaker 1: allegedly hit Colleen several times at the hotel. Colleen later 489 00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:26,400 Speaker 1: disclosed that one of the blows left her completely deaf 490 00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:30,600 Speaker 1: in one ear for three and a half months. Terrible 491 00:32:30,680 --> 00:32:34,800 Speaker 1: though all of that is, the meetup devolved further as 492 00:32:34,920 --> 00:32:38,239 Speaker 1: Johnny forced Colleen into a car and drove them from 493 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:42,160 Speaker 1: the hotel to her apartment. While speeding to Colleen's place, 494 00:32:42,200 --> 00:32:46,200 Speaker 1: Johnny allegedly maniacally threatened to kill them both He was 495 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:51,000 Speaker 1: apparently laughing, crying, and driving simultaneously in such a deep 496 00:32:51,080 --> 00:32:56,480 Speaker 1: rooted manner that Colleen was genuinely petrified. Their altercation reached 497 00:32:56,480 --> 00:32:59,920 Speaker 1: an even more terrifying climax once they arrived at the apartment, 498 00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:04,080 Speaker 1: where Colleen, fearing for her life, wielded a knife to 499 00:33:04,160 --> 00:33:09,360 Speaker 1: defend herself. He was just very volatile and angry and scary, 500 00:33:09,480 --> 00:33:12,160 Speaker 1: Colleen told The New York Post. He was someone I 501 00:33:12,320 --> 00:33:16,160 Speaker 1: did not know anymore. Johnny Manziel fled the scene once 502 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:19,000 Speaker 1: Colleen picked up the knife and was later indicted on 503 00:33:19,080 --> 00:33:22,440 Speaker 1: misdemeanor assault charges with in order to stay away from 504 00:33:22,480 --> 00:33:30,640 Speaker 1: Colleen Crowley and avoid firearms. Even for Johnny Manziel's closest 505 00:33:30,640 --> 00:33:36,400 Speaker 1: circle of supporters, this incident was the last straw. Johnny's agent, 506 00:33:36,600 --> 00:33:39,600 Speaker 1: Eric Burkardt called it quits, saying that Johnny Manziel needed 507 00:33:39,600 --> 00:33:43,560 Speaker 1: to seek further treatment. When Eric, who had done everything 508 00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:47,960 Speaker 1: from oversea drug testing strategies to running actual pass routes 509 00:33:48,000 --> 00:33:51,440 Speaker 1: for his client's combine workout, decided to part ways, it 510 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:56,000 Speaker 1: was a clear signal that Johnny's heyday was over. The 511 00:33:56,120 --> 00:34:00,600 Speaker 1: cumulative impact of Johnny's repeated indiscretions and the very public 512 00:34:00,680 --> 00:34:03,840 Speaker 1: nature of his assault on Colleen Crowley were too much 513 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:07,360 Speaker 1: for the Cleveland Browns to overlook. As well, the management 514 00:34:07,400 --> 00:34:10,319 Speaker 1: cut ties with Johnny, leaving him without a place in 515 00:34:10,360 --> 00:34:14,879 Speaker 1: the NFL. In the aftermath of his short but tumultuous 516 00:34:15,000 --> 00:34:18,560 Speaker 1: NFL career, Johnny Manziel sought ways to make a comeback 517 00:34:18,600 --> 00:34:22,239 Speaker 1: in professional football and to reshape his public image. He 518 00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:25,840 Speaker 1: ventured north to the Canadian Football League and later joined 519 00:34:25,880 --> 00:34:30,440 Speaker 1: the ranks of the Alliance of American Football in Canada, 520 00:34:30,520 --> 00:34:33,560 Speaker 1: he signed with the Hamilton Tigercats in May of twenty eighteen. 521 00:34:34,040 --> 00:34:37,360 Speaker 1: Since other players have moved from other leagues to the NFL, 522 00:34:37,760 --> 00:34:40,879 Speaker 1: Johnny likely hoped to do the same, but his time 523 00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:44,040 Speaker 1: in the Canadian Football League was short lived. He was 524 00:34:44,080 --> 00:34:47,600 Speaker 1: traded to the Montreal Alouettes, where he started several games 525 00:34:47,640 --> 00:34:51,560 Speaker 1: before his inconsistent performances and a breach of his agreement 526 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:54,880 Speaker 1: with the league led to his termination in February twenty nineteen. 527 00:34:55,480 --> 00:34:58,680 Speaker 1: Johnny later revealed that his agreement with the Canadian Football 528 00:34:58,719 --> 00:35:01,960 Speaker 1: League required him to attend therapy and take tests that 529 00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:06,840 Speaker 1: showed he was seeking treatment for bipolar disorder. Shortly after 530 00:35:06,880 --> 00:35:10,239 Speaker 1: his exit from Canada, Johnny joined the Memphis Express of 531 00:35:10,280 --> 00:35:14,000 Speaker 1: the Alliance of American Football. This new league was also 532 00:35:14,040 --> 00:35:16,759 Speaker 1: seen as a potential stepping stone for his return to 533 00:35:16,800 --> 00:35:21,080 Speaker 1: the NFL. Yet the Alliance of American Football itself faced 534 00:35:21,120 --> 00:35:26,160 Speaker 1: financial difficulties and ceased operations shortly after Johnny began playing. 535 00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:30,719 Speaker 1: Following his departures from the Canadian Football League and Alliance 536 00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:37,120 Speaker 1: of American Football, Johnny seemed uncharacteristically self reflective. It wouldn't 537 00:35:37,120 --> 00:35:39,839 Speaker 1: have mattered where I was at, what team, wherever I 538 00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:42,000 Speaker 1: was at that point in time in my life, in 539 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:45,480 Speaker 1: my early twenties, I was incapable of being a good 540 00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:50,120 Speaker 1: NFL quarterback, Johnny reflected. He added, when you get to 541 00:35:50,160 --> 00:35:52,720 Speaker 1: that point, and you get to that time, you're supposed 542 00:35:52,760 --> 00:35:55,720 Speaker 1: to know better. You're supposed to know what you're supposed 543 00:35:55,760 --> 00:35:59,520 Speaker 1: to do. You're supposed to behave like a pro. You're 544 00:35:59,520 --> 00:36:03,160 Speaker 1: supposed to to push your career forward, your athleticism forward. 545 00:36:03,600 --> 00:36:06,319 Speaker 1: You strive for being a great athlete. But when it 546 00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:09,239 Speaker 1: came down to it, I was a frat boy, and 547 00:36:09,280 --> 00:36:14,960 Speaker 1: my frat was the football team. Johnny also candidly addressed 548 00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:18,520 Speaker 1: deeper mental health issues that had influenced his erratic behavior. 549 00:36:19,080 --> 00:36:23,040 Speaker 1: His public revelations about being diagnosed with bipolar disorder were 550 00:36:23,160 --> 00:36:28,600 Speaker 1: highly unusual for a professional athlete. I got diagnosed as bipolar, 551 00:36:28,640 --> 00:36:30,680 Speaker 1: and I felt like it was the same as being 552 00:36:30,719 --> 00:36:34,040 Speaker 1: called an alcoholic or a drug addict, Johnny disclosed in 553 00:36:34,080 --> 00:36:38,600 Speaker 1: a heartfelt admission, highlighting the stigma and personal battles often 554 00:36:38,640 --> 00:36:43,800 Speaker 1: associated with mental health diagnoses. In a particularly vulnerable moment 555 00:36:43,800 --> 00:36:47,359 Speaker 1: of the Netflix documentary about his life, Johnny shared the 556 00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:51,279 Speaker 1: depth of his despair during his tumultuous NFL period. I 557 00:36:51,320 --> 00:36:54,000 Speaker 1: thought I'd spend as much money as I possibly could, 558 00:36:54,280 --> 00:36:58,240 Speaker 1: and then my plan was to take my life. Months prior, 559 00:36:58,360 --> 00:37:00,400 Speaker 1: I went and bought a gun I knew I was 560 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:04,600 Speaker 1: going to use. That is a shocking admission from Johnny 561 00:37:04,600 --> 00:37:08,320 Speaker 1: Manziel and demonstrates that no one is immune to mental 562 00:37:08,320 --> 00:37:12,319 Speaker 1: health challenges, even when they're a standout athletic talent who 563 00:37:12,400 --> 00:37:17,480 Speaker 1: seems to have it all. Today, Johnny Manziel has largely 564 00:37:17,600 --> 00:37:21,960 Speaker 1: retreated from the public sports scene, focusing on personal endeavors 565 00:37:21,960 --> 00:37:25,560 Speaker 1: and occasional media appearances where he discusses his journey and 566 00:37:25,640 --> 00:37:28,560 Speaker 1: the lessons he's learned. He has been candid about the 567 00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:31,440 Speaker 1: role his mental health and lifestyle choice has played in 568 00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:35,960 Speaker 1: his professional struggles and expresses a continued commitment to bettering 569 00:37:36,040 --> 00:37:40,560 Speaker 1: himself outside of the public eye. His efforts and openness 570 00:37:40,600 --> 00:37:44,200 Speaker 1: about his challenges culminated in a moment of recognition when 571 00:37:44,200 --> 00:37:46,520 Speaker 1: he was inducted into the Texas A and M Hall 572 00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:50,400 Speaker 1: of Fame in twenty twenty two. This honor not only 573 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:55,200 Speaker 1: acknowledged his dynamic impact on college football, but also symbolized 574 00:37:55,200 --> 00:38:00,000 Speaker 1: his ongoing journey towards personal growth and stability. Johnny man'sil 575 00:38:00,239 --> 00:38:03,200 Speaker 1: remains a figure of public interest, not just for his 576 00:38:03,360 --> 00:38:06,719 Speaker 1: past exploits and achievements on the field, but for his 577 00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:11,640 Speaker 1: candid discourse on mental health. His story showcases the potential 578 00:38:11,680 --> 00:38:15,279 Speaker 1: for individuals to confront their past, learn from it, and 579 00:38:15,400 --> 00:38:18,640 Speaker 1: move forward. While Johnny may no longer be tearing up 580 00:38:18,680 --> 00:38:23,040 Speaker 1: the gridiron, his ongoing journey offers a narrative of redemption. 581 00:38:24,560 --> 00:38:27,440 Speaker 1: It's always nice to close a scandal with a taste 582 00:38:27,480 --> 00:38:31,560 Speaker 1: of redemption. Regardless of how you feel about Johnny Manziel's 583 00:38:31,600 --> 00:38:34,840 Speaker 1: efforts to write a new chapter for himself, it's nice 584 00:38:34,840 --> 00:38:37,640 Speaker 1: to see that he's contributed to the Greater Cleveland Food 585 00:38:37,640 --> 00:38:41,600 Speaker 1: Bank and the Lebron James Family Foundation, among other charities. 586 00:38:41,600 --> 00:38:45,080 Speaker 1: In an effort to give back, I'll take a scandal 587 00:38:45,080 --> 00:38:48,880 Speaker 1: that ends on a high note every time. Come thirsty 588 00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:50,879 Speaker 1: and meet me back here at the Juice Barn next 589 00:38:50,920 --> 00:38:55,360 Speaker 1: week for a fresh episode of Playing Dirty Sports Scandals. 590 00:39:07,880 --> 00:39:12,280 Speaker 1: Playing Dirty Sports Scandals is a production of Dan Patrick Productions, 591 00:39:12,320 --> 00:39:16,840 Speaker 1: Never Ever Productions and Workhouse Media from executive producers Dan Patrick, 592 00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:21,960 Speaker 1: Paul Anderson, Nick Panella, Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Clary. Hosted 593 00:39:22,000 --> 00:39:26,280 Speaker 1: by Jay Harris, Written and produced by Jen Brown, Francie Haiks, 594 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:28,280 Speaker 1: Maya Glickman, and Jennifer Clare.