Seeking light in dark sporting times: While We’re Waiting…
April 29, 2015Ball Played: Indians remain in AL cellar
April 29, 2015Earlier in April, Cleveland Browns Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Thomas said that Johnny Manziel had “lost a lot of trust” among his teammates in the locker room because the way he handled himself off of the field during the course of his rookie campaign. On Tuesday, in an exclusive interview with NFL Media’s Andrea Kremer, Thomas reversed course, praising Manziel following the quarterback’s rehab treatment.
“The way he is now is night and day from last year,” Thomas said. “He has a bright future ahead of him.”
Thomas told Kremer that following treatment, Manziel now spends his Saturdays studying the playbook and watching film, instead of riding “a swan in a swimming pool drinking champagne.”
Giving more praise to Manziel, Thomas also said, “It’s apparent he’s realized how important football is to him. He’s realized you can’t get away with those things anymore.”
Thomas, perhaps the most respected veteran on the Browns, said, “as one of the leaders, it’ll be my job to talk to him sometimes, (but) he’s already impressed a lot of people here now in the last couple of weeks.”
Manziel’s maturity has caught the eye of Browns Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden as well. Haden told Kremer that since returning from his rehab treatment, Manziel has been a workhouse around the facility and has even stayed later (after workouts) to study the new offense.
“He has the it-factor. He has what you can’t teach,” said Haden, adding “actions speaking louder than words. He’s putting forth those actions. That’s all he can do.”
Almost a year after being drafted by Cleveland, it appears Manziel has finally grown out of his college lifestyle and realized that he is now a quarterback in the NFL, not at Texas A&M. With the starting quarterback position up for grabs, it seems as though Manziel is set on taking the bull by the horns and becoming the man behind center for the new-look Browns once fall rolls around. Browns fans will find out during Thursday night’s NFL Draft as to whether or not these reports are enough to provide the quarterback with a second chance.
19 Comments
Last year when Manziel came in, his attitude was along the lines of “Hoyer is the starter, I’m the backup, I will come in when called.” It’ll be interesting to see if his attitude changes this year to “that job is MINE.”
Very pleased to see incremental good news on this front, and that the rehab experience appears to be yielding early returns for Manziel.
After all the sturm und drang around Johnny over the last half-year, it’s easy to forget that we still have a first-round prospect QB on our roster with tons of potential. Even more reason to build the roster around the QB position rather than playing the lotto with Mariota.
I feel a lot better hearing these words from Joe Thomas about Manziel’s actions rather than from Manziel himself. He’s the boy who cried wolf and he had already cried wolf for the second time… there was just no way to trust him. But Thomas was one of Manziel’s biggest detractors after last season, so his words of change carry real weight for me.
I have mixed impulses about the significance of the rehab and likelihood of success. On one hand, I still think Manziel has other-worldly ability, especially (though I hate the word) intangibles; and has a ceiling above Drew Brees. On the other hand, I wonder if it is even possible for someone in his position to gain and keep a grip on a healthy emotional and mental state.
Recovery from mental/emotional/addiction is a long, delicate process (obviously depending on the particular issue). Professional sports is a pass/fail league and recovery is the opposite of that. Josh Hamilton may be the best example of someone who succeeded while recovering from addiction but if he had the tiniest bit less talent or even a short period of athletic failure, he would have been retired years ago.
Great to hear Manziel is doing well in his recovery thus far, but unless he grew 6 inches in rehab as well he’s still an NFL bust.
I’d add that, most of the time, recovery is a never ending process. You don’t just do it and then it’s done. For Manizel’s sake, I hope he surrounds himself with people who are willing to support him over the long haul. Oh, and teammates who realize it’s not a good idea to be drinking on private jets.
This means nothing!
good post PAT …
hi TRS …
This is certainly a concern. Josh Hamilton is a good example of how hard it is to stay sober.
I hope this is true; I hope the staff and FO see it; I hope this provides the impetus to NOT draft a QB tomorrow.
Man. I sound like Red from A Shawshank Redemption.
Zihuatenejo!
my all-time favorite movie !!
Farmer: Hey Joe, how about saying some nice words about Johnny to boost his trade value before the draft?
Yeah, leave the drinking on private planes to me!
Twist!!
You must be Gen X. Only we Gen Xers could be so cynical. And I hate that my cynical Gen X mind immediately presumes that you’re right.
Since this is the typical positive sort of stuff Thomas said about Brady Quinn and Colt McCoy and other mediocre teammates, makes one wonder exactly what crap Johnny pulled in Berea to deserve a post-season tongue-lashing by Joe.
Wonder if anyone has yet told Haden that his bestie Johnny is not supposed to drink.
To be fair to Sham though, this is dude’s like 3rd or 4th chance that I can think of.
1. Dad told him to stop drinking in High School and if he did he’d buy him a car.
— Stops drinking, gets car, gets into A&M, immediately starts drinking again.
2. Gets busted selling autographs
— Apologizes, gets suspended for 1 half of football, gets back in game and immediately acts like a child to opponent and disrespects head coach coming off field
3. Drafted by Browns and goes on whirlwind tour of drinking which results in total lack of preparedness and professionalism.
— Stand at locker swearing he has to do better and he’s a man of his word, the next weekend a team official needs to wake him up at his house because he’s hungover and missing a team meeting.