Johnny Manziel wishes things had been done differently in Cleveland and with LeBron James.
The Browns’ 2014 first-round pick, who infamously came under fire during his brief NFL tenure, expressed regret on Wednesday over his dealings with Cavaliers icon and marketing manager Maverick Carter.
The former quarterback appeared on the “Club Shay Shay” show with Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe to discuss a wide range of issues. One of them was that his short stay in Cleveland didn’t go his or the Browns’ way.
Manziel admitted on the show that he treated both his manager and James badly after signing Carter.
The former signalman, who played in just eight games in the NFL and completed just 57 percent of his passes, said Carter and James, who fired him as clients in January 2016, are still angry with him. I have said so far.
“What I realize now, and that’s probably why they’re mad at me to this day, is that they haven’t lost. They don’t bet on things they aren’t sure of,” Manziel said. Told. “And what I did during my time in Cleveland, the way I carried myself and the way I conducted myself, was pure and blatant disrespect for those guys who gave me everything I needed to be successful.
“So I still talk about it, and I think I still haven’t fully and truly gotten over that I let them down.”
Manziel previously revealed in a Netflix documentary about his life that he struggled with substance abuse and mental health issues during his time in Cleveland, and that he considered suicide after the Browns released him in 2016.
Manziel said in an interview with Sharp that he sidelined James because of his struggles with depression. Even when the NBA legend tried to go with James when they were both free.
Manziel said James would text him every week to watch a game or play poker with other friends, but his mental state was so deteriorating that he could barely get out of bed. That’s what it means.
“For the first time in my life, I was so depressed that even though I had some of the biggest role models and inspirations in my life, I couldn’t get out of bed and go hang out with them,” he said. You know, when I went to Cavs games, I went, I went in, I went out. I couldn’t grasp and hold on to him the way I should have. And he’s trying to take me under his wing, right?And because of my mental state, I’m just kind of pushing it away [health] I was completely depressed and what situation in my life was I in? Is that an excuse?
“Absolutely not. Because at the end of the day, the respect I have for them, giving me everything, trumps everything else.”
Manziel said he regrets “not being angry enough” to do the right thing for himself, James and Carter, and that it “eats me alive.”
He also added that he was concerned about how much of the Hall of Fame tackle’s back end of Joe Thomas’ career was wasted in Cleveland.
Among other topics, Manziel also touched on sports talk host Skip Bayless, who couldn’t praise the quarterback enough during his time at Texas A&M just before leaving for Cleveland, going so far as to say Manziel will be bigger than LeBron. Said.
In a conversation with Sharpe, Manziel said he was watching ESPN’s “First Take” around the time Bayless was on the show and spewing hyperbole.
“Skip, I love you, brother. I want you to know that it was always love, and I honestly feel like I let him down,” Manziel said.
Bayless said he regrets not helping Manziel when things fell apart in Cleveland last summer and his mental health deteriorated due to the Aggies product.
“I know Johnny respected me.” bayless said on his podcast “The Skip Bayless Show.”
“I know Johnny appreciated the fact that I was in Johnny’s corner leading up to the draft. And I wish I could have sat down and actually had a heart-to-heart with Johnny. Then maybe I could have been helped.”
If you live in New York City and are struggling with suicidal thoughts or experiencing a mental health crisis, call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. I can. If you live outside of the five boroughs, please dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or visit the following link: SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.
