I have previously written about my concerns for Johnny Manziel, and since then I have only developed even greater concerns for his NFL future. On Friday he was quoted as saying “I won’t change for anybody” in response to growing concerns around his social life and seeming lack of attention toward football preparation. Of course, Manziel is a young guy and like most of us when we were his age probably thinks he knows more than he does. The problem with Johnny Football, however, is that he is actually making bigger problems for himself than he needs to have, and he is taking a really big chance of trying to do things his way while at the same time taking advantage of the incredibly tiny window of opportunity the NFL allows young players.
While none of can accurately predict the future, Manziel’s behaviors mirror what many failed athletes have shown in the past — an ego without limits, a super-human mentality that thinks everything is cool, and a naivete about how risky he is playing it with so much on the line. Additionally, his recent comments certainly won’t endear the Browns ownership group, his coaches, his teammates, and even a lot of fans. Basically Manziel is putting himself behind the eight-ball when he really doesn’t have to do so.
Very few athletes, if any, have been successful in pro sports taking on a “screw it” I’ll do whatever I want attitude. Manziel is already a guy many scouts wonder about how his abilities translate to the NFL game, making his questionable attitude and lifestyle that much more of a head scratcher. For now, I’m sticking with my prediction that this guy doesn’t last very long in the league, and unless things change I can also see him working his way into some bigger problems off the field as well.
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