Heisman Trophy Winner Went on $5M ‘Bender,’ Attempted Suicide After Being Cut by NFL Team

A former college football phenomenon is coming clean about his darkest moments about washing out of his National Football League career. Johnny Manziel reveals that he attempted suicide in 2016 following his release from the Cleveland Browns in an episode of Netflix’s “Untold” slated for release Tuesday, according to Yahoo. The Texas A&M standout had also been diagnosed with bipolar disorder the same year the Browns cut him loose, according to his account. “The ride was over,” Manziel says of the aftermath of his unsuccessful Browns stint. “I couldn’t fix what I had done with … the NFL, with [Texas] A&M, everything.”

Former Football star Johnny Manziel opens up about planning to commit suicide after finding out he’s bipolar.

“I got diagnosed as bipolar and I felt like it was the same as being called an alcoholic or a drug addict,” “Spend as much money as I possibly could and then my plan… pic.twitter.com/XRzzVU8FzK — Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 4, 2023

Manziel’s suicide attempt failed when a handgun failed to fire, according to the quarterback. The suicide attempt was preceded by a spending spree — an act to justify Manziel’s suicide to himself, according to the college standout. “It made it seem like an excuse and an out for me.” Manziel dropped from 215 to 175 pounds during his post-release bender, a period in which he made use of the drugs cocaine and Oxycontin. The failed suicide attempt drove Manziel to depart his Los Angeles residence for Texas, moving back in with his family. Manziel’s Heisman Trophy-worthy college career spurred interest in his NFL potential, although concerns about his character led him to slip out of the first ten players picked in the 2014 NFL Draft. “Johnny Football” speaks about his wild partying lifestyle in a promo for “Untold” released in July.

Jake Paul. Johnny Football. Hall of Shame. Swamp Kings.

You think you know these stories, but you don’t. Netflix Sports Series UNTOLD Volume 3 returns August 1 pic.twitter.com/IR1RzJF3NO — Netflix (@netflix) July 18, 2023

“It was probably a $5 million bender,” the quarterback says of his spree. Manziel is pivoting beyond football, with plans to open “Johnny Manziel’s Money Bar” in College Station, Texas. However, the quarterback hasn’t hung up his cleats yet — he’s slated to compete with the Zappers of the Fan Controlled Football League in the entity’s 2024 season. This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.