In a new documentary, former NFL quarterback Johnny Manziel discusses his drug use while playing and a suicide attempt after being released by the Cleveland Browns in 2016.
In the upcoming Netflix documentary “Untold: Johnny Football,” Manziel – who became the first redshirt freshman to win the Heisman Trophy while playing at Texas A&M in 2012 – says that after the 2015 season, he began using OxyContin and cocaine on a daily basis, leading to his weight dropping from 215 pounds in January to 175 pounds in September.
Manziel was immediately plagued by poor performance and legal issues. A grand jury in Texas indicted Manziel on a misdemeanour assault allegation against his ex-girlfriend, Colleen Crowley. Manziel denied punching Crowley at the time, and the charges were eventually withdrawn when he agreed to the conditions of a dismissal agreement with the court.
Manziel was released by the Browns in March 2016, after which he claimed he was diagnosed with bipolar illness.
Manziel said he denied treatment twice and then started “self-sabotaging,” going on a “$5 million bender” before attempting suicide.
“I had planned to do everything I wanted to do at that point in my life, spend as much money as I possibly could, and then my plan was to take my own life,” Manziel said in the video. “I wanted to get as bad as humanly possible to the point where it made sense, and it seemed like an excuse and an out for me.”
Manziel said he bought a pistol “months earlier” with the idea of using it to commit suicide, but the gun “malfunctioned” when he pressed the trigger.
“I still have no idea what happened.” But the gun simply clicked,” he said.
Manziel’s connection with his family was “strained” at the time because of his failure to get therapy, he added. Manziel eventually returned to his family’s Texas home after fleeing Los Angeles after the suicide attempt.
“It’s been a long, long road, and I don’t know if it’s been great or bad – that’s kind of still up for debate,” his father, Paul Manziel, said in the documentary. “But we’re fortunate. And he’s still here. And we can still fix all the fences. I believe Johnny will have far better days than he has experienced.”
The Browns have been contacted by CNN for comment.
Manziel was selected in the first round of the NFL Draught in 2014. Manziel played for many clubs in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the now-defunct Alliance of American Football (AAF) after being released by the Browns. Manziel most recently competed in the Fan Controlled Football league.
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