Johnny Manziel reveals LeBron James tried to save him from off-field issues

Alan Draper

Sports Editor

February 25 2018 3 min read

Former first-round draft pick Johnny Manziel got into a number of off-field incidents when he was a member of the Browns, which was the main reason his NFL career didn’t last long.

Manziel has since admitted he had a sense of entitlement in the past, which was evidenced by his behavior both on and off the field. He apparently had one particular role model who attempted to lead him on the right path and potentially save the former Browns quarterback from his off-field issues.

It’s no secret that Manziel and LeBron James were once friends, but the two were apparently closer than we realized. Manziel recently appeared on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take” podcast, and he revealed that James communicated with him daily when attended Texas A&M University, with the Cavs star also often inviting him over to hang out when the former Browns quarterback was in Cleveland.

“The guy couldn’t have tried anymore,” Manziel said. “I remember whenever I was going through my NCAA scandal if you want to call it at A&M. Every day I would get up and go to training camp and ‘Bron would text me like every day. ‘Just keep your head up, don’t worry about anything all the outside noise.’ At this point in time, I was just 20 years old. I didn’t know how to handle the national media pressure and spotlight without checking Twitter and letting it get in my head or seeing it on a website. He tried super hard to just keep me grounded and keep me focused on that. I think that was really the start of our relationship.”

Manziel then admitted he “never really gave Cleveland a chance,” and added that he felt slighted due to being drafted lower than expected, as the 22nd overall pick in the 2014 draft.

“When I got to Cleveland, LeBron tried his best,” he said. “Him and the guys used to invite me over to his house and want to play cards or just watch a game. My first six, seven months in Cleveland, I went to practice, I would go out some nights and I would go home. I hardly did anything. I hardly went to any Cavs games. I was just in a funk that I couldn’t really get out of and didn’t give it much of a chance.”

It’s interesting to wonder how James could’ve affected Manziel’s career path had the young quarterback let the NBA star take him under his wing. James was clearly reaching out in hopes of providing some mentorship to Manziel, but it didn’t appear that the quarterback was wise enough to accept the guidance.