Johnny Manziel issues apology to Browns and fans
By Thomas Moore
Dec 21, 2014; Charlotte, NC, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) on the sidelines in the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel issued his first public comments since being released from a substance related rehabilitation center.
In the statement Manziel apologized to the team and its fans, among others, and reiterated his intension to start taking his NFL career more seriously.
The statement, which the team posted on its website, reads as follows:
"“I would like to thank my family, friends, the Browns organization, my teammates, and Browns fans everywhere, for your patience, understanding, and support during my stay at Caron. The doctors and staff have been amazing and what I’ve learned in the last couple of months has been tremendous.“I owe private apologies to a lot of people that I disappointed but a very public one to the Browns organization and the fans that I let down. 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. I’m going to continue to ask folks to try to respect my privacy as I determine to what degree I am comfortable talking about a subject which I consider very personal. Most of you have been considerate about that and I thank you for it.“I look forward to seeing my teammates next week and focusing on football and my desire to be the best possible player, teammate, and man that I can be.”"
The most important thing here is that Manziel sought out help, so he should be applauded for that. No matter what may happen on the field, you really never want to see someone struggle with personal demons and we hope that Manziel is on the way toward a better life.
On the field, however, it comes down to the cliche that actions speaker louder than words.
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Manziel stood up at the end of rookie season and said that he would now start to take things seriously. In this latest statement, he talks about his “desire to be the best possible player … I can be.”
Those are all great soundbites, but now Manziel needs to take the next step and start showing everyone he has changed, rather than just telling everyone he has. That may start next week if he is able to participate in OTAs.
Manziel took a big first step to getting his life in order by going through rehab and he should be congratulated for that.
These next few months will tell us if he’s ready to take the next big step in his career.
What do you think about Johnny Manziel’s statement?