Johnny Manziel. Remember the freshman quarterback that led his team over the number one ranked school in the nation, Alabama? Johnny was a star from the beginning, after putting up 345 yards and two touchdowns to edge out the Crimson Tide, it was apparent he was the real deal.
I still remember watching that game like it was yesterday. It was back in 2012 during my freshman year, and I was getting ready to head out to my roommate's soccer game. I had no idea who Johnny Manziel was at that point, but after watching him wreck Alabama's defense en route to a 29-24 win, I became sure of two things that night; Johnny Manziel was going to be a star and my roommate Pete should not be trusted with penalty kicks.
Fast forward a few months and Johnny had just won the Heisman Trophy, the first freshman to achieve such a feat, which wasn't surprising when you looked at his numbers for the season. After throwing for 3,419 yards with 24 touchdowns and rushing for 1,181 yards and 19 additional touchdowns, the other two finalists, Manti Te'o and Collin Klein, never stood a chance. Neither did Manti Te'o's girlfriend, but that's a story for a different day.
I wasn't quite a fan yet though. I realized he was a talented football player, but I was not team Johnny Manziel just yet. I eventually became a big fan when a video surfaced online over the summer showing an intoxicated Johnny Manziel being escorted out of a fraternity party at the University of Texas. For those who do not know, Texas A&M and Texas have a nice little in-state football rivalry going on, so being the star quarterback at A&M and going there took some guts. Now, I know it's not a great reason to be a fan of someone, but if you show up to a fraternity party at an in-state rival school AND you're the star quarterback, then that tells me you've got big balls.
Once that video surfaced, I was immediately all about Johnny Football (#HeilManziel). I already knew he was a great player, but I now knew he had the right amount of cockiness to make me a fan. If you ask anyone who knows me, they will tell you I can be somewhat of a cocky person from time to time, so I'm all about the big-headed douchey players.
Heading into the next season, everyone had Johnny Football on their radar. Many expected him to endure a sophomore slump, but I knew he'd continue to shine. This season was also what I believe to be the start of the "Johnny Manziel Saga." Reports surfaced about Johnny Manziel supposedly signing autographs for compensation, but it was eventually found out that he did not actually receive any money for the autographs. Due to this, Manziel and the NCAA agreed upon Johnny being suspended for the first half of the season opener versus Rice University.
After Manziel sat out for the first half against Rice, he did what he does best...balled out. When it was time for him to face top-ranked Alabama again, he had an even better game than the year before. Against Alabama, Johnny threw for a school record of 464 yards and five touchdowns. When facing Mississippi State, Manziel threw for five touchdowns, yet again, and 446 passing yards. Watching him play the way he did, you could not help but be a fan of the guy, so I was quite excited when he announced he was headed for the NFL. I truly thought he would do great things.
Johnny Manziel went on to be drafted by the Cleveland Browns, (aka the place where quarterbacks go to die). When given the chance, Johnny played productive, but I'm not focusing on his stats in the NFL, I'm focusing on what went wrong for him. I'll be honest, I ignored all the warning signs because I wanted him to succeed and I was a fan.
During a preseason game, Manziel thought flipping the bird to the Redskins sideline would be a bright idea, and although I may have found it pretty funny, in hindsight it was not very smart. That's the way it was with Johnny Manziel. I used to find the things he did to be funny. That was the problem. Things eventually began to escalate and I continued to make excuses. When Johnny got demoted to third string for partying during the bye week, I said the coaches were being too strict and picking on Johnny. When reports came out that he was in Las Vegas partying rather than with his team, I said he was just trying to have fun. When he got pulled over for arguing with his girlfriend, I said it was just a small argument.
Eventually though, I realized Johnny Manziel wasn't just a young guy trying to enjoy his life. He was a young guy with some serious problems going on. Recently, reports have come out that have painted Johnny in a completely different light. According to reports, Manziel assaulted and threatened to kill his ex-girlfriend Colleen Crowley during a heated argument. Upon hearing that Manziel had assaulted his ex-girlfriend so severely that her eardrum had been ruptured, I knew that was it.
I don't care how good of an athlete you are, I can never and will never support a woman beater. No matter what way you look at it, Johnny Manziel, an NFL player, hit his girlfriend and that is never OK. One thing my father told me when I was younger that I will always remember is, "No matter how badly you get upset with a girl, you never put your hands on them." For seven year old me, that was an extremely simple concept to grasp, others, not so much.
After subsequently being released by the Cleveland Browns, and even having his own father go as far as to say, "If he doesn't get help, he won't live to see his 24th birthday," it's apparent that rock bottom has been hit for Johnny Manziel. I believe it has gone past the point of football and is now more of a concern for his safety and well-being. I still believe Johnny Football is talented and has the skills to succeed in the NFL, but he will not be having me back on his side. I may not be able to look past him assaulting his ex, but I do honestly hope he seeks the proper help needed.
As mothers all across the nation tell their children, I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed in you, Johnny.
