‘I knew he was in a very dark place; I didn’t know about that.’ former Texas A&M star WR Mike Evans is proud of Johnny Manziel’s openness in new documentary
The sports world took a brief pause on Tuesday after the official release of Netflix’s newest edition to the Untold documentary series, “Untold: Johnny Football,” detailing the rise, fall, and eventual path towards redemption of former Texas A&M quarterback and Heisman Winner Johnny Manziel, one of the most legendary players to grace the college football landscape in the last decade.
From my lens, Manziel’s life is so much more than a 70-minute run-through of his brief yet remarkably productive football life, taking the CFB landscape by storm during the Aggies’ 2012 11-2 finish, culminating with the first freshman in Heisman Trophy history to win the award, while soon becoming the arch nemesis to the NCAA after looking to profit off his, yes, name, image, and likeness nearly a decade before the concept reached its legal (kind of) state of existence.
Fast forward (please, watch the documentary), Manziel’s hard-partying ways finally caught up with him after being drafted in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, where his lack of general care for the game in a professional manner led to his release on March 11, 2015, after only two seasons in the league.
Now, forget Manziel’s football down spiral, and shift your focus to the mental struggles he has seemingly been dealing with for most of his life after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2017 while reportedly (according to his words from the documentary) embarking on what a “$5 million bender,” disturbingly leading his reported suicide attempt, stating “the gun just clicked on me.”
Finally reconnecting with his family and friends, former Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans and No.1 receiving target for Manziel, who has been starring for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the last decade, sat down with Buccaneers reporter and ESPN Staff writer Jenna Laine to discuss the documentary from his unique point of view.
Evans, who is still very close to Manizel to this day, was reportedly unaware of just how bad things transpired during Manziel’s aforementioned “bender.” Still, nonetheless, their friendship runs deep, and he couldn’t be prouder of how open the former signal caller was in the public forum.
“I knew he was in a very dark place; I didn’t know about that,” Evans stated. “I care about him, but, you know, I didn’t know about his suicide attempt. That was news.”
Echoing a sentiment that should continue to be pushed in the mainstream, seeking help is always an option no matter what, and Evans will continue to be a staunch ally for his former QB.
“I thought it was very noble of him to do what he did, ’cause it takes heart to, like, admit a lot of that stuff,” said Evans, adding that “there’s nothing wrong” with seeking help.
From 2012-2013, Manziel connected with Evans for 151 receptions, 2,499 yards, and 17 touchdowns in 26 memorable games; his yards and touchdown numbers place him within the Top 10 in Texas A&M football history.
Johnny Manziel’s impact after just two seasons with the program continues to be seen both monetarily and in recruiting, as future prospects can all recount the man we earnestly call Johnny Football for years to come.
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