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Johnny Manziel quickly rose to fame with his improbable Heisman Trophy win as a freshman at Texas A&M, and the spotlight got even hotter when he was drafted by the Cleveland Browns.
But Manziel flamed out of the NFL after two seasons and 14 career games. He was 2-6 in eight starts and had 1,675 passing yards, seven touchdown passes and seven interceptions. He was waived after the 2016 season.
In the weeks and months after he was cut, Manziel appeared to be noticeably slimmer. The former NFL quarterback addressed his weight loss in a recent episode of Shannon Sharpe’s "Club Shay Shay" podcast.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) throws a pass during a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. (James Allison/Icon Sportswire)
"I was 210 pounds when I left Cleveland. I was 170 pounds sitting in Vegas that August, September, October, whatever it was later that year," he told the Super Bowl champion. "How do you lose 40 pounds? You’re on a strict diet of blow.
"At that point in time, man, I would look in a mirror, and I didn't see myself any different than when I was in Cleveland. Until I stepped on a scale at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas, I didn't realize I had lost 40 pounds at all."
Johnny Manziel of the Zappers throws against the Glacier Boyz during a Fan Controlled Football game at Infinite Energy Arena Feb. 20, 2021, in Duluth, Ga. (Kevin C. Cox/Fan Controlled Football/Getty Images)
The former quarterback said he went from cocaine to Oxycontin to mushrooms and generally harder drugs.
"They were very tumultuous in my life and popped their head, especially in the days wandering around the Hollywood Hills."
Manziel added that he couldn’t overcome his depression or find his way amid the pressures and expectations that came with being in the NFL.
Johnny Manziel during the first half of a game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Louisiana Monroe Warhawks at Kyle Field Sept. 16, 2023, in College Station, Texas. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
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He said he now feels like he can enjoy his life being Johnny Manziel instead of "Johnny Football."
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