Johnny Manziel enters media industry 10 years after addiction and NFL downfall: what he learned
Former quarterback Johnny Manziel announced some new media ventures this week and opened up about how his past issues with addiction have shaped his mindset.
Johnny Manziel’s glory days on the football field are a decade old this year. Now he’s looking to create some new ones in the podcast studio.
The famed college star and infamous NFL bust is getting his own talk show, "Glory Daze," which is being distributed by Almost Friday Media. The show is launching during the upcoming football season and will feature regular interviews with high-profile current and former athletes, a source told Fox News Digital.
"I've been fortunate enough to experience the highest highs and lowest lows that come with being a professional athlete," Manziel said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.
"On 'Glory Daze,' with Almost Friday Media, I'll get the opportunity to sit down with other iconic athletes and help them share their incredible stories. We'll look back through the lens of the players themselves, giving fans an inside look at the moments they remember and the stories they've never heard."
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It’s not even Manziel’s only foray into sports media this week. It was also announced Thursday that Manziel will be an upcoming guest on ESPN's "College Gameday" for Texas A&M's game against Notre Dame on Saturday, where he will predict the game's outcome as a celebrity prognosticator.
On Wednesday, the Action Network announced Manziel would be joining its "Big Bets on Campus" podcast as a college football analyst this week.
As a sports gambling analyst, Manziel will discuss an activity that has been linked to addiction.
Addiction of a different kind is a subject he’s spoken about recently.
Manziel struggled with drug and alcohol addiction during and after his NFL career with the Cleveland Browns. He reflected on the roots and impact of his addiction in a Q&A with students and those in recovery at the University of Alabama’s VitAL health conference on Monday.
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Manziel indicated during the conference that alcohol no longer had a place in his life. He also indicated the experience taught him a new way to manage any potential future success. He surrounded himself with consultants who push back on him when necessary. He says he learned that from having too much unanimous support from those around him in the past.
"I started to develop and have a lot of yes men around me," Manziel said. "I think at the head of that group of influences was myself, and managing success now is not a solo thing. You need to have a support system and lean on things in your life."
Manziel’s failed experience with his previous support group ended his NFL career after just two seasons and led to multiple stints in rehab and multiple alleged incidents involving police intervention. These incidents were explored in Manziel’s Netflix series, "Untold: Johnny Football," in August 2023. He said on Monday his addiction worsened right after coming into the NFL in 2014, which set him on the path to getting cut in 2016.
Now, 10 years later, Manziel wants to be the one exploring other stories on his new platform.
"I’m 31 years old, and as much as I’ve done in my first 31 years of life, I look at it in the lens that I have a lot of time left, God willing. We’re not promised time on this Earth." Manziel said. "Find things that make you tick. Find things that genuinely make you happy."
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