The beleaguered former Heisman Trophy winner, known for his off-field, partying lifestyle, issued the statement, as the first step towards winning back the approval and confidence of his teammates.
In an excerpt from the statement, “I take full responsibility for my actions and it’s my intention to work very hard to regain everyone’s trust and respect. I understand that will take time and will only happen through what I do and not what I say. I also understand there’s a lot of curiosity about this, but anyone who has a friend or family member that’s been through things like this knows it’s an ongoing process”.
Teammates have been critical of Manziel’s shenanigans and antics on and off the field, citing a lack of preparation, knowledge, commitment and readiness in practice and on game day against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Unnamed Cleveland Browns players indicated that the issues that were evident on the practice field, appeared as well, in the huddle on gameday. His inability to correctly call plays or even understanding what the pass route of the play or the blocking scheme, was often corrected by other players, who crossed their fingers when the ball was snapped, hoping there was some semblance of a play.With the released statement and preparing to attend the Browns off-season workouts, scheduled for late April, Manziel has a long road ahead of him and a tall mountain to climb, to regain his teammates trust. The Browns signed veteran quarterback Cade McCown to compete with Maziel for the starting job.
Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam, coach Mike Pettine and General Manager Ray Farmer have given their vote of confidence in Manziel, despite his lackluster on-field performance, where he was 0-2, as a rookie, with a 51% pass completion percentage. They insist that despite all the distractions and disappointment, Johnny Manziel’s health is the most critical issue at the moment.
For many, to play in the National Football League is a cherished experience, built on many years of hard work, commitment, and determination. For others, such as Manziel, the experienced is treated lightly and taken advantage of, at the expense of his teammates. Will Johnny Manziel pass on this opportunity, or take the ball and run with it?
