Johnny Manziel — 2012 Heisman winner
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In 2012, Manziel turned the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy after a stellar season at Texas A&M.
Nicknamed “Johnny Football,” Manziel threw for 3,706 yards and 26 touchdowns and rushed 1,410 yards for an additional 21 touchdowns. He returned to the Aggies the following yr and accomplished the season with 4,114 passing yards for 37 touchdowns, and 759 dashing yards for 9 touchdowns.
After merely two collegiate seasons, Manziel declared for the NFL Draft and was chosen twenty second complete by the Cleveland Browns in 2014.
Nonetheless sooner than he could take his first NFL snap, Cleveland.com reported that the Browns had been “alarmed” by Manziel’s off-field partying. His troubles continued into the season, from flashing an obscene gesture on the Washington bench all through a preseason recreation in August to in the hunt for remedy in January 2015.
Inside the post-game press conference, Manziel talked about he’ll get “phrases exchanged” with him all by way of every recreation, together with, “I should’ve been smarter … I ought to be smarter than that. There’s always phrases exchanged on the soccer topic.” He moreover described the second as a “lapse in judgement.”
He accomplished his rookie yr having carried out in merely 5 video video games, passing for 175 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions for a passer rating of 42.0. Manziel returned to Cleveland the following season, the place he carried out in 9 video video games and handed for 1,500 yards and seven touchdowns.
Nonetheless, it was off-field troubles that continued to plague Manziel’s occupation, along with a 2016 misdemeanor house violence value. ESPN reported that the charges had been dismissed in November 2017 after Manziel met the requirements of a dismissal settlement.
The Browns launched Manziel in March 2016.
“After I obtained to Cleveland, I wasn’t on this head space to have the power to easily go play soccer,” Manziel suggested Enterprise Insider’s Meredith Cash in 2023. “I was struggling to get out of bed inside the morning. I was struggling to battle concepts and feelings that I had not at all truly had sooner than in my life.”
“I do know that I’m nonetheless gonna stroll down the street or go to a restaurant or go to a soccer recreation and people are nonetheless gonna acknowledge me,” Manziel added. “Nonetheless on the end of the day, I wanna reside a further common, simplistic lifestyle now. I’m discovering points that truly do make me joyful with out having to be in a spotlight every day.”
Manziel didn’t reply to Enterprise Insider’s request for further comment for this story.
