Johnny Manziel’s Appearance At NCAA Tournament Sparks Speculation He’s Up To His Old Habits

Johnny Manziel was in attendance at Texas A&M’s first-round NCAA Tournament game against the University of Nebraska in Memphis. A&M, of course, is Manziel’s alma mater and the school he won a Heisman Trophy at as a freshman.

The now 31-year-old former Cleveland Browns quarterback, however, was seen in the crowd during the first half of the Aggies’ matchup against the Cornhuskers talking to the friends he was at the game with. Billy Liucci, a writer who covers the Aggies, could be seen alongside “Johnny Football.”

Manziel’s behavior, however, sparked some speculation on Twitter that he’s back to his old ways — the ways that caused him to crash out of the NFL about a decade ago.

https://twitter.com/CBSSports/status/1771321745053536601

 

One of the infamous images of Manziel’s career — which he discussed in the 2023 Netflix documentary Untold: Johnny Football — was him gambling in Las Vegas wearing a fake mustache and wig, and another of him looking gaunt and ghoulish at a poolside party.

Given his energy at A&M’s game, some fans speculated that he perhaps had money on the game, among other potentially illicit habits that caused his infamous fall from grace. The replies to the below tweet paint a distinct picture of what sports fans think Manziel is up to.

Others just thought that Manziel had some money on the game, which is legal in Memphis, Tenessee, where the game between A&M and Nebraska was being played.

“We need a camera on Manziel for this game. You know he’s got an insane amount of money on this,” one viewer posted on social media.

“Manziel at the game, I KNOW he’s betting on this,” said someone else.

“Johnny Manziel 1000% gambled on this game,” was another comment online.

One college basketball fan who claims to be in attendance at the game says he’s sitting near Manziel and he’s the loudest guy in the arena.

“Johnny Manziel is here at FedExForum and sitting about 3 feet behind me. Dude might be the loudest Texas A&M fan in the building — been yelling practically in my ear for most of this one so far,” the tweet read.

After becoming the first freshman to win a Heisman Trophy in 2012, Manziel was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

Manziel only spent two years in Cleveland and played in just 15 career NFL games (8 starts). Manziel’s last appearance on a football field came in 2022 with the Fan Controlled Football League.