Johnny Manziel is looking for a fresh start with the Cleveland Browns.
On Friday morning, the 22-year-old quarterback issued a statement apologizing to Browns fans and the organization.
“I would like to thank my family, friends, the Browns organization, my teammates and Browns fans everywhere for your patience, understanding and support during my stay at Caron,” Manziel wrote. “The doctors and staff have been amazing and what I’ve learned in the last couple of months has been tremendous.
“I owe private apologies to a lot of people that I disappointed but a very public one to the Browns organization and the fans that I let down. I take full responsibility for my actions and it’s my intention to work very hard to regain everyone’s trust and respect. I understand that will take time and will only happen through what I do and not what I say. I also understand there’s a lot of curiosity about this but anyone who has a friend or family member that’s been through things like this knows it’s an ongoing process. I’m going to continue to ask folks to try to respect my privacy as I determine to what degree I am comfortable talking about a subject which I consider very personal.”
We still don’t know what exactly is is that Manziel was being treated for, and it doesn’t sound like he is going to speak in detail about it publicly. What we do know is that Manziel has a reputation for partying, and there was one photo that resulted in speculation that he uses cocaine. Manziel has also been called an alcoholic.
Assuming his trip to rehab was more than just a public relations stunt, getting help is a start for Manziel. Having said that, he has always managed to say the right things publicly, even before he was drafted.
Manziel would be wise to heed the advice of NFL legends like this former quarterback. So much has happened with him since he was in college that most people — the Browns included — will only be interested in what Manziel going forward, not what he says.
