Netflix dropped the latest episode of “Untold” today: “Johnny Football”.
Spoiler: it’s awesome.
And it will be one of TV episodes that will written about for weeks.
There’s so much in it.
Say what you want about him, but the man (still) pushes headlines.
Netflix knew exactly what they were doing with this.
People care about Johnny Manziel.
This isn’t a recap blog because 1.
Nobody wants that and 2.
You should just watch it.
It’s a well done and fascinating documentary.
Plus it follows a very obvious timeline.
And to those people I will say again: yes, I’m biased.
I graduated from A&M.
I love A&M.
I was at A&M when Johnny was playing.
Johnny creates a lot of mixed opinions.
But the universal one that will always be asked is “what if!?”
While I won’t pretend to be close with him, I do call Johnny a friend.
), he’s always been good to me when we interact.
Johnny is a good human who has done some bad things.
And yes, he addresses those things in the doc.
There are some tough moments.
But ultimately, I think theres so much more to him that just “being a bust”.
Johnny did something that nobody had ever seen in college football before.
AT NINETEEN YEARS OLD.
I’m not sure we will ever see that level of chaos again.
Let’s role play, shall we?
Imagine being seen as a nobody to a gigantic celebrity in half a year.
Imagine having all the hottest co-eds on campus (in underwear at Halloween!)
dancing on you (as Scooby Doo!).
Parties, private planes and entertainment at your fingertips.
Imagine guys like Drake suddenly want to hang out with you.
Imagine being the BEST at what you do even when you’re shit faced or hungover.
The NCAA is, has and will always be the WOAT.
Imagine the NIL existed in the era of Johnny Manziel?
Guys like him, Tim Tebow, Reggie Bush… would RAKE.
It’s insanity we didn’t have it in place before.
You could never buy a single players jersey before Johnny).
Everybody was along for the ride… and benefitting.“Everybody.
I happened to do well and the rest is history.
I don’t know if I would be at Barstool if it wasn’t for that perfect storm trajectory.
So once again… thanks, Johnny!!)
You wouldn’t do it because it’s against the rules!??
But it was a lot more complicated than him just being a brat.
It was true self sabotage to the definition.
There will always be people who mock mental health, especially with a guy like Johnny.
“OH WHAT DOES HE HAVE TO BE SAD ABOUT?”
(I loathe those people entirely).
Sure, mental health is talked about loosely a lot these days.
That doesn’t make it less real for people.
Not in the least.
Mental health doesn’t discriminate.
The spiral was written on the wall from the beginning.
He had freedom and money he never had before.
He was able to perform at the highest level while partying at the highest level.
Disaster waiting to happenfor anybody.
Good for Johnny for being so vulnerable.
That alone should tell you how bad it actually got.
Thats really, really sad.
And anybody who has felt that way understands that darkness.
It’s awful, especially if you feel like nobody actually cares if you live or die.
Now does that completely EXCUSE how poorly he handled the NFL?
How he actively tried to get cut from the Browns?
How poorly he botched his professional career post-NFL?
Does it excuse his situation and relationship with Colleen Crowley?
His unwillingness to change time and time again?
But it certainly helps explain it.
And Johnny is the first person to tell you that he is full of regrets.
Unfortunately, thats not how life works.
But what will never change?
How much Johnny means to college football.
He was a superstar.
He put A&M on the national map in their first year in the SEC.
It’ll never change that he means so much to A&M.
Not just as the Heisman winning QB.
Not just as the guy who made itcoolto be an Aggie.
Not just as the guy who beat #1 Alabama.
But as the guy who changed the way it felt to be an Aggie football fan.
The guy who made every Aggie proud.
A talent unmatched to anything Aggieland had ever seen.
And the human being who now says “ya, I made a less of my life.
But I made it out.”
Maybe you love him.
Maybe you hate him.
Maybe you resent somebody throwing it all away.
Maybe you’re a little jealous.
Or maybe you’re a human being with compassion and empathy for how life can get out of control.
Both the flawed human being and the legend that will never die, Johnny Fucking Football.
PS - GASP, he wanted to go to Texas!?!
Ya, no shit.
A&M wasn’t.
PPS - I won’t ever stop talking about Johnny or A&M.
EVERY SINGLE PERSON talks about their school and team more than any other.
It’s kind of the point of being a college football fan.
Thanks and Gig ‘Em!
