Former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel spoke with Good Morning America about his sobriety and trying to make an NFL comeback.
Johnny Manziel says he’s sober and working on his NFL comeback
Manziel told Good Morning America he was tired of “sitting on a couch being a loser.”
In his interview, Manziel also revealed that he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder last year. He’s since stopped drinking, started taking medication, and is seeing improvements. Now, he says he wants back on the football field.
”I am watching all the other guys doing what I want to be doing and I am sitting on a couch being a loser,” Manziel said.
Manziel was released by the Browns in March of 2016 after just two seasons with the team. He went 2-6 in his eight career starts, completing 57 percent of his passes for 1,675 yards, seven touchdowns, and seven interceptions.
Just more than a year after being released, he was indicted on a misdemeanor assault charge from a January 2016 domestic violence incident with an ex-girlfriend.
He hasn’t sniffed an opportunity in the NFL since then. He told GMA he had fallen into a depression, and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder last year “sometime around June or July.”
”At the end of the day I can’t help that my wires are a little bit differently crossed than yours, I can’t help my mental makeup of the way that I was created,” Manziel said. “But I know if I stay on these meds and I continue to do what I am doing right now ... I think my dad, my mom, I think [girlfriend Bre Tiesi], would all agree that they see a drastic change.”
He told GMA’s T.J. Holmes that taking care of his mental health is more important than anything.
”I don’t know what kind of comeback it will be,” he said, “but I know I want to get back on a football field to what brought me so much joy in my life and it makes me happy doing as my job.”
Manziel will have a contract approved by the CFL for him to play in 2018, which seems to be the first step to an NFL comeback. His rights are currently held by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.
On Feb. 14, Manziel announced he accepted an invitation to participate in the Spring League. He told Bleacher Report in a statement:
“Football has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. Sometimes you take for granted how much you value something until it’s gone. My goal is to make it back to the NFL and I realize I have to earn that privilege. The Spring League has provided me with a great opportunity to play ball again, and ultimately, that is all I want to do. I miss the competition. I’d like to thank Brian Woods and The Spring League staff for this opportunity to play the game I love. I’ve made my share of mistakes, but I’m 25 years old and I know my best football is ahead of me.”
The Spring League is a three-week scouting event in Austin, Texas. Four teams play two games each, where Manziel will play on the South team.
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