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The Rise and Fall of Johnny Manziel

Johnny Manziel's career took a quick fall due to his off-field antics after being drafted in the 2014 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns.

It’s always been football for Johnny Manziel. Growing up in a football state, Manziel started as a receiver at Tivy High School in Kerrville, Texas. When he stepped in as quarterback one game, he never went back to his old position. He quickly gained praise for his play and was compared to some of the football greats like Brett Favre and Mike Vick.

It took nearly two years for the rise and fall of Johnny Manziel in Cleveland. After exceptional play in college, with a 68.9 completion percentage, 7,820 pass yards, 93 total touchdowns and 22 interceptions, and the first ever freshman Heisman Trophy winner, it was a quick drop down the rabbit hole for Johnny Football.

On May, 8, 2014, Johnny Manziel was drafted by the Cleveland Browns at #22 overall.

The Rise and Fall of Johnny Manziel

As we all know, he was nothing short of trouble. During the 2012 season at Texas A&M University, Manziel was arrested and charged with three misdemeanors after an altercation on the street. In 2013, Manziel was investigated for receiving payments for autographs. He was later found not-guilty by the NCAA for that purpose but was suspended a rule violation.

In the second game of the 2015 NFL preseason, Manziel was caught flipping an obscene hand gesture (the bird, of course) at the Washington Redskins sideline and fined $12,000, something he bragged that he would pay in “pocket money”. In the 2015 off-season, Manziel checked into a rehabilitation center for treatment of alcoholism. After his exit from the facility, Manziel seemed changed, like a different man. He seemed more focused on football than ever before.

But that wasn’t the case.

In October 2015, Manziel was pulled over by police after an altercation with his girlfriend and admitting to having a couple of drinks earlier in the day. The following month, he was demoted from starter to third-string after a video surfaced of him partying, to which he lied to the Browns font office about. In January 2016, Manziel did not report to the team’s facility for check-up under the concussion protocol, to which he supposedly suffered the month before. No more than a month later, Manziel became the subject of an investigation by Dallas police for a domestic-violence claim by his girlfriend. She claimed that he struck her in the face (evidence of a ruptured ear drum) and threatened to kill them both. This is an ongoing investigation.

On March 11, 2016, Johnny Manziel was officially released by the Cleveland Browns after months of speculation.

Cleveland Stats:

During his time in Cleveland, Manziel managed to rack up a 57 percent completion percentage,  1,675 pass yards, eight total touchdowns, seven interceptions and 259 rush yards.

What’s next for Johnny Manziel?

Know one knows what’s next for Johnny Manziel. He might be finished in Cleveland, but which teams might be compelled to take a chance on him?

Possible landing spots:

Dallas Cowboys 

Being born and raised in Texas may just give the kid the possibility to play close to home. It might even be good for him. Jerry Jones stated early on that he regretted not drafting Manziel but since has denied that they will bring him in. It still could be a valuable option. Learning behind someone as experienced as Tony Romo may just be beneficial.

Philadelphia Eagles

Despite the re-signing of signal caller Sam Bradford and the free-agency pickup of Chase Daniel from the Chiefs, Philly could be a clean slate for this struggling 23-year-old. Even the addition of new head coach Doug Pederson could give Johnny Manziel the potential to revive the glory that he had while playing at A&M.

Los Angeles Rams

It should be no surprise the Rams need help at the position of quarterback. Despite three men fighting for the position last year, the Rams couldn’t just seem to grasp consistency at the position. After the off-season move from St. Louis back to Los Angeles, it’s another possibility for a clean start for the former Aggie.

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