Once viewed as the most electric player in college football who also became the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy, former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel is now out of the spotlight and football.
While diehard fans of college football may often reminisce about the player who once was “Money Manziel,” who accumulated 4,600 total yards and upset No. 1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa during his first year, the former star is now “just a guy.” Although that may seem harsh initially, a recent interview with Manziel surfaced on TikTok and amassed around five million views, in which he described himself as just that.
“I was a football player at one point in time,” Manziel said when asked what he did for a living.
When asked what he’s up to now, the former first-round pick said, “I’m just a guy.”
Aside from being a star on the field, Manziel lived a double life off the field. While he’d make headlines on Saturdays for his big plays, during the week, he frequently made headlines for the wrong reasons. Whether it was being sent home from the Manning Passing Academy in 2013, going viral for being kicked out of a Texas frat party, or hanging out with Drake, it was clear that Manziel enjoyed the party lifestyle as well.
Despite all of the red flags, the Cleveland Browns selected Manziel with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. A decision they’d go on to regret, as his career in Cleveland is best remembered for playing just 14 games and Manziel getting caught in Las Vegas wearing a disguise when he was out with a concussion for the team’s final game of 2015.
He then bounced around in other leagues such as the Spring League, CFL, Alliance of American Football and Fan Controlled Football as recently as 2022. However, Manziel told Logan Paul on “Impulsive,” that he thinks his time is up.
“As much as I would like to think that that’s something I can do, I think at 32, my chances are probably pretty chopped,” Manziel said.
With his football days seemingly over, Manziel is still quite active on social media. He also hosts a podcast called “Glory Daze,” where he interviews former and current stars, with the most recent episode featuring former college football and NFL star Cam Newton.
While his career didn’t pan out as many had hoped, with Skip Bayless even predicting he’d be bigger than LeBron James in Cleveland, it appears that Manziel has found closure in life after football.
