What were the allegations against Johnny Manziel? Controversy explored as former NFL star recalls feeling shame

American former football quarterback Johnny Manziel recently appeared on the season four premiere of Special Forces on September 25 and shared how he felt “shame and regret” in the wake of his failed NFL career.

Manziel played two seasons for the Cleveland Browns between 2014 and 2015. However, he was soon ousted after he faced controversies such as on-field misconduct, substance abuse, and domestic violence allegations from his ex-girlfriend, Colleen Crowley.

During his latest reality TV appearance on Fox, Johnny admitted that he didn’t realize his mistake until it was “too late.”

"Looking back, I felt like I wouldn't be able to live with the shame and the regret. It got to a point where, you know, I didn't want to live and I did want to end my life,” he confessed on 'Special Forces.'

The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner shared he was "tired of struggling through days," adding,

“I gave up on myself, and lately, it’s been something that’s eating me alive.”

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Exploring the past controversies of Johnny Manziel

Johnny Manziel was selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. However, following his debut season, he began facing controversies. For instance, he was fined $12,000 for showing an opponent team the “middle finger” on the field. Likewise, he also missed a team meeting to party in Las Vegas in disguise, which raised an “alarm” about his NFL career, according to People Magazine.

In February 2016, his then-girlfriend Collen Crowley accused him of physical assault and domestic abuse. In the wake of this, Dallas police launched a criminal investigation. A month later, Johnny Manziel was let go by the Cleveland Browns.

“I want to make sure we all understand that that behavior will not be tolerated as we move forward. I want to leave it at that. Our organization is going to take a stand, and we’re going to move on from those kinds of situations as we move forward,” Browns head coach Hue Jackson said at the time, per CNN.

In April 2016, Johnny Manziel was indicted on misdemeanor assault charges but made a deal with the prosecution to dismiss the charges after agreeing to attend an anger management course and a domestic violence victim impact panel, as per The Guardian.

The former Texas A&M Aggies star struggled with his mental health in 2018, alongside drug and alcohol addiction. He told ESPN at the time that he was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Around the same time, Manziel spoke with USA Today and said he was prioritizing his mental health over his career.

“That’s the scary thing about my mental health: If I don’t continuously take care of it and make it the biggest priority in my life, I’m going to struggle. That’s hard to say. You’re making mental health a priority over your job? Well, there is no job without my mental health. There is no life and there is no family for me without my head,” he explained.

Johnny Manziel married reality TV personality and realtor Bre Tiesi in March 2018 after being engaged for a year. However, the Selling Sunset star accused him of infidelity, which led to their split in 2019 and eventual divorce in 2021.

Manziel was part of the Netflix series, Untold: Johnny Football, which revolved around his NFL career. Back then, he told People Magazine that his pro football career was over.

“I have so much life left to live, and my football chapter's closed, but let's find out what's going to be next and what I want to do moving forward to make myself happy and live a nice life," he stated.

He also mentioned taking up golf in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he is currently based, and referred to it as the “Mecca of golf.” In the same show, he recalled being suicidal after his NFL career ended and amid the ongoing personal and legal controversies.

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On Thursday’s opening episode of the fourth season of Special Forces, Johnny Manziel opted for an “intense military training” challenge with the help of the show’s cast and crew, comprising ex-Special Forces. They even described him as a “big name” who was “mentally, physically falling apart already.”

Meanwhile, Manziel admitted that this was his “first real test of putting myself in a situation where you face that kind of physical challenge” after his pro football career ended. He also mentioned spending his time on the golf course.

Johnny also remembered the days of his “most success” after winning the Heisman Trophy as a freshman in 2012. He called being “treated differently” and ending up losing “a huge part of my work ethic.” In turn, he gave up on a “real opportunity,” aka walking away pretty quickly from a long-lasting football career.

Besides playing college football for the Texas A&M Aggies and in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns, Johnny Manziel also played in the Canadian Football League, representing both Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Montreal Alouettes. The now-32-year-old also played for the Memphis Express in the Alliance of American Football and Fan Controlled Football.

He launched a podcast called Glory Daze under the banner of Almost Friday Media in August 2024.