Former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf has expressed his dissatisfaction with the latest Johnny Manziel documentary that is captivating college football fans.
Leaf believes that the Netflix show has exploited Manziel once again, emphasizing the wrong aspects of his college and professional careers while glossing over his mental health struggles.
Leaf shares a similar story with Johnny Football, as he too had a successful college career before being drafted as the second overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft.
Despite being a Heisman trophy candidate and leading his team to a PAC-10 title, Leaf encountered numerous challenges at the professional level.
Leaf’s NFL career was plagued by a poor attitude and injuries.
In his rookie year, he reacted poorly to criticism after throwing 15 interceptions and just two touchdowns.
He often blamed teammates for his subpar performance, resulting in a negative portrayal in the media.
A training camp injury forced him to miss his entire second season, and he struggled again in his third year with the Chargers, throwing 18 interceptions and only winning one out of eight starts.
Leaf’s behavior also caused him to alienate players in the San Diego locker room, leading to his release in 2001.
Subsequently, Leaf joined the Cowboys but failed to secure a win.
He signed a one-year deal with the Seahawks but abruptly retired before training camp without providing an explanation.
Following his retirement, Leaf battled substance abuse and encountered legal issues, resulting in multiple arrests for drug charges and burglary.
In 2014, he was incarcerated. Having previously compared Manziel’s career to his own, Leaf’s views remain unchanged.
In a recent podcast appearance, Leaf criticized the Netflix documentary for its limited focus on Manziel’s perspective and failure to address his mental health issues.
Leaf believes that the show missed an opportunity to explore solutions instead of merely highlighting mistakes and Manziel’s rise in football.
Via Outkick:
“I was hopeful for this. I’d love to hear from Johnny. We probably only heard 100 words come out of his mouth during the documentary. Nothing.
“I put this on Netflix… You have done everybody such a disservice. Once again, people have taken advantage of Johnny Manziel.”
“There were no solutions. There was no addressing the bipolar diagnosis and how he’s dealing with it and how he’s living with it around his substance abuse. Then at the end, they show he talks about being in a frat, the football team is a frat. Then they show him, and he’s sitting around a table with all his new frat buddies pounding beers.
“I just don’t know what they were trying to achieve.”
He also expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of Manziel’s suicide attempt, citing his own personal experience with mental health struggles in 2012.
Although the documentary has been positively received by many college football fans, Leaf believes that his own experiences may have influenced his perspective.
He wished that the show had delved deeper into Manziel’s mental diagnosis and potential treatment options, rather than resorting to drugs and alcohol.
Leaf believes that accountability and recovery can serve as a beacon of hope for Manziel’s future.
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