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Jean-Jacques Taylor, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Manziel's decision the right move

NFL, Cleveland Browns, Texas A&M Aggies

Johnny Manziel, the man who made Texas A&M's football program nationally relevant again, has been the epitome of an NFL bust.

The Cleveland Browns made him a first-round pick last spring, the 22nd selection in the draft. They gave him a $4.3 million signing bonus and another $420,000 in salary.

In return, Manziel gave them nothing except headache after headache. And when the Browns really needed him at the end of last season, when Cleveland still had an opportunity to make the playoffs, Manziel gave them zero.

Actually, he gave them less than zero.

Manziel, also known as Johnny Football, completed 10 of 18 passes against Cincinnati for only 80 yards with two interceptions in a 30-0 loss to the Bengals in Week 15.

And if we're to believe the recent reports, he missed the last practice of the season, a walk-through, because he was too intoxicated to get out of bed and get to work on time.

The Browns suspended him, and it's the best thing they could've done.

Now, we've learned Manziel is in rehab getting treatment. For what, we don't exactly know yet.

Good for him.

Going to a rehabilitation center, whether the idea came from Manziel or someone else, is a humbling experience for anyone, because it's an admission that help is needed to solve a problem.

It's hard for many folks to ask for help, especially for someone as public as Manziel. Let's hope rehab helps Manziel maximize his potential as an athlete and a man.

Still, it's up to Manziel to work whatever program the counselors at his facility suggest. This can't be another Johnny Football con game, where he says what he knows the public or his coaches want to hear just to get them off his back.

The reality is the dude who has been perceived as the life of the party might have to give it up.

Manziel must walk this path for himself, though he doesn't have to do it by himself. The Browns have publicly pledged their support.

As my dad has told me countless times over the years, "You can lie to others as much as you want, if necessary, but don't ever lie to yourself. Keep it real with yourself at all times. It's the only way you can deal with life, because if you don't, life will deal with you."

Only Manziel knows where the true root of his issues lies. From the outside, it certainly seems as if there is an issue of some kind.

A lot of NFL players like to party. Heck, a lot of my friends enjoy partying. Yours, too.

It only becomes an issue when the partying and late-night carousing affects your job, whether it's Manziel missing a practice or not knowing every nuance of the offense and terminology because he hasn't been studying his playbook.

It's cool to have Drake and King James wearing your jersey and posting pictures about you on Instagram or Twitter, but it seems as if Manziel has forgotten what attracted those guys to him.

Like most of us, they were mesmerized by his talent and his charisma on the football field at Texas A&M. They were drawn to his swagger and the way he consistently made big plays out of chaos.

They liked the Money Manziel gesture, and his fearless approach to the game we love. And certainly not last on the list, he was a winner in college.

Manziel won the Heisman Trophy as a redshirt freshman, and he was the life of the party. He zoomed from anonymity to stardom in a millisecond. We probably shouldn't be surprised that he has had a problem handling it.

In the NFL, it's difficult to be the life of seemingly every party and still succeed at the most difficult position in pro sports.

Name one big-time NFL quarterback you've seen during the last 20 years floating on an inflatable swan drinking from a bottle of liquor. If you search Google for images of any NFL quarterbacks, from the New York Jets' Geno Smith to Washington's Robert Griffin III to Indianapolis' Andrew Luck, Manziel is the only one with a category titled, "Party."

Manziel has done the hardest part, which is to seek help. Now, he needs to attack his issues with the same vigor as he did his NFL dream.

It's vital if Manziel is to ultimately succeed in life. Only then can Johnny Football reach his potential.

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