On Tuesday, Netflix released their latest “UNTOLD“ documentary titled “Johnny Football,” which chronicled the ups and downs of the life and career of 2012 Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.
It’s the tale of how a once passionate and football-driven Manziel quickly went down a path of self-destruction following his near-instantaneous rise to stardom at Texas A&M.
The documentary could serve as a cautionary tale for all aspiring collegiate and professional athletes about the fame and fortune that can come with success and how that fame and success can quickly spiral into chaos. It could also potentially serve as a case study of mental health issues, including bipolar disorder, which Johnny was revealed to be diagnosed with towards the end of the film.
Please note that there are spoilers of the documentary throughout this review. Also, check out Aggies Wire’s piece on social media’s reaction to “Johnny Football.”
Before getting into his rise to stardom, it’s worth noting that Manziel, at least as depicted in the documentary, was a much different person before enrolling at Texas A&M. The Texas native had a very structured lifestyle.
Whether at home or as part of his high school football team, Manziel was taught to “always do the right thing,” as his father tells the audience. His high-school football team had a very military-style culture as well. He also talked about his passion for the game growing up and in high school.
As the documentary progresses, that structure and passion waned until nearly nonexistent during his time in the NFL.
Johnny Manziel becomes “Johnny Football”
Once he left Tivy for Texas A&M, eliminating that structure in his day-to-day life immediately became an issue for Manziel. He would be arrested within his first year on campus for getting in a fight and having a fake ID. That arrest would be just the first signs of his future troubles.
A few months after that arrest, Manziel would become the Aggies’ starting quarterback. After a loss in his Texas A&M debut against Florida, the ascension of Johnny Football began. The Aggies would win seven of their next eight games before the game that changed everything.
October 11, 2012. No. 15 Texas A&M at No. 1 Alabama.
Untold: Johnny Manziel is now on Netflix.
Never forget when Manziel led Texas A&M into Tuscaloosa and upset Alabama 🏈pic.twitter.com/o0LCjYVXXR
— 247Sports (@247Sports) August 8, 2023
In that game, the Aggies got off to a 20-0 lead before Alabama came storming back to make it a 20-17 game by the end of the third quarter. Manziel, however, in the fourth quarter would be nearly perfect, making two incredible throws in the process to lead the Aggies to nine points in the final 15 minutes to outlast the top-ranked Crimson Tide 29-24. It was at that moment that Manziel’s Heisman campaign truly took off.
Manziel did all that despite continuing his detrimental off-the-field behaviors involving heavy partying. His best friend Nate Fitch, another focal point of the documentary and Manziel’s “manager” in college said the following regarding Manziel’s time at Texas A&M.
“People think of athletes as these super disciplined, on a diet, being absolutely committed to their craft. I never saw him look at a playbook, ever I’ve never seen it happen,” Fitch said. “After football, he didn’t talk about football, so it’s as if he was doing this thing on the side, and the reason wasn’t to be bad*** and win and do all these unbelievable feats; it was for what happens after you win.”
Two months later, Manziel would be named the Heisman Trophy winner, being the first freshman in NCAA History to do so.
Manziel’s downfall
“It becomes a little bit larger than football at that point,” his sister Meri said in the documentary.
After winning the Heisman, Manziel’s off-the-field behavior escalated to new levels. Thanks to his under-the-table autograph signings and other business ventures following his Heisman Trophy-winning season, Manziel soon had access to hundreds of thousands of dollars; he was partying with the who’s who of the music and movie industries and living the life that many college students can only dream of.
This is an excellent reminder of how far college athletics have come in just over a decade. During Manziel’s first year as the starting quarterback for Texas A&M, the university profited over $37 million on Johnny Manziel merchandise. If name, image, and likeness were around in 2012, Johnny Manziel would’ve been the poster boy for it.
Many will wonder if Texas A&M’s coaching staff at the time, especially head coach Kevin Sumlin and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, could have provided more of a support system for Manziel.
However, as he showed throughout the documentary, once he won the Heisman Trophy and tasted the fame and fortune that came with it, football, which already wasn’t a major priority for him, became even less of a priority. His focus at that point was to live a lavish lifestyle.
“Once he won the Heisman, I saw a different side of him. It was like there was nothing stopping him from doing what he wanted to do,” his sister Meri said.
He didn’t believe he needed to practice, study a playbook, or prepare anyway to go out and play on Saturdays. He believed he was good enough to show up on Saturdays and play. “I felt like I didn’t have to do what everyone else was doing,” Manziel said honestly in the documentary regarding his attitude entering his redshirt sophomore season. For the most part, he was right.
In the year following his Heisman Trophy-winning season, Manziel had an even better season through the air. He completed a higher percentage of his passes for more yards and touchdowns. Texas A&M, however, would be one of the disappointments of the 2013 season, going just 8-4.
At the college level, Manziel’s talent was enough for him to get by and have great levels of success. However, as he progressed to the NFL level, his lack of drive in preparing to be a better quarterback and off-the-field behavior quickly ran him out of the league.
Manziel was also very transparent in this portion of the documentary that he didn’t have a passion for the game while in Cleveland. Despite having everything he ever wanted at that point in his life, the Texas native said he felt “the most empty” he ever felt in his life as well. His actions during his time there were simply to get out of Cleveland faster. Eventually, he got his wish in March 2016 when the organization released him. After being released, Manziel tells the audience, “When I get cut from the Browns, I felt like the biggest weight lifted off my shoulders ever.”
His life would continue to spiral out of control following his release from the Browns. His usage of drugs and alcohol would escalate, and his relationships with his family would become strained.
It’s then revealed he was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder, which, early on, only caused Manziel to continue his unruly lifestyle and behavior.
“Direct self-sabotage, trying to burn this thing down. I planned to do everything I wanted to do at that point in my life. Spend as much money as I possibly could,” Manziel said about his choices following his diagnosis.
However, Manziel also had further plans at that moment in time, telling the audience that he planned on taking his own life following his “direct self-sabotage.” He planned to self-destruct on purpose to make it seem like an “out” for him when the time came.
Thankfully, it would not reach that point.
He would make the abrupt decision one day to return to Texas. From that point on, Manziel has been on the road to redemption. He is slowly piecing his life back together, but there is still a long journey ahead.
“I know how much good he can do in this world, but I know the struggle he goes through every single day of his life, and it’s never going to go away,” his sister says near the documentary’s end.
The documentary can be an emotional journey, but the last ten minutes are pretty poignant in the effects of mental illnesses. Many of the symptoms of bipolar disorder could be seen in his behavior before his diagnosis. As mentioned at the top of this review, perhaps it could help serve to help those with undiagnosed mental disorders find the help they need.
Final Thoughts
Overall, “UNTOLD: Johnny Football” is a must-watch for college football fans, though I believe it’s also a documentary that even non-football fans could enjoy. While the early parts of the documentary provide strong nostalgia, it quickly provides a poignant lesson about the dangers that can come with fame and fortune and, of course, the risks of undiagnosed mental disorders.
I also believe the documentary does not paint Manziel positively or negatively either. It simply presents the facts and opinions of those instrumental in his journey: his parents, his sister, his former best friend/manager Nate Fitch, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, and his agent Erik Burkhardt. With that, it allows the viewer to judge Manziel.
There will never be a Johnny Football. His talent was immense, and his charisma poured out of him without trying. He was a one-of-a-kind athlete in many ways. Hopefully, with the help of this excellent documentary from director Ryan Duffy, Johnny Football’s story and journey will also be one-of-a-kind.