Johnny Manziel is like a coin. There are two sides to him – the side fans jammed into the Browns training complex on July 26 to see and the side that loves champagne and riding inflatable swans.
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam stopped at the end of the first day of training camp to chat with reporters. After being tossed a softball question about the capacity turnout of enthusiastic fans, he was drilled with questions about his rookie quarterback. Haslam wants Manziel to take a cue from some of sports’ best role models, including LeBron James, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Derek Jeter.
Photo gallery from today’s practice
‘I think Johnny said it well – he made some rookie mistakes,’ Haslam said, referring to Manziel’s news conference the previous day. ‘The really great athletes make their news on the field, not off the field and, hopefully, he can look at guys like LeBron and Brady and Peyton and Jeter and pattern himself after those guys.’
The questions did not stop there. Haslam was asked whether he was disappointed about anything Manziel did, such as being photographed rolling up paper money in a men’s room in Austin, Texas, partying with Justin Bieber in California, spraying champagne around a nightclub and riding that infernal swan in a swimming pool with a magnum of champagne pressed to his lips – all since being drafted by the Browns on May 8.
‘Yeah, listen, I don’t want to wear this subject out,’ Haslam said. ‘We expect better from him. I’m sure he’ll perform and now we’re anxious to see what he can do on the field, which is what really counts. … I think we’re all on the same page with Johnny.’
Coach Mike Pettine has told Manziel to tone it down. Asked whether the message had sunk in, all Haslam would say is, ‘We’ll see.’
On the field Saturday, Manziel was serious and in control. He played with the second team and watched Brian Hoyer run the first team offense.
Pettine said Manziel is off to a ‘solid start,’ but said the rookie made mistakes, too. Manziel showed he can throw deep when he completed a long pass to Taylor Gabriel in seven-on-sevens. He connected with Josh Gordon on a touch pass to the left side in 11-on-11s and showed he can gun it on a pass to Charles Johnson over the middle.
Manziel ‘2’ jerseys were the most popular among the 3,702 fans in attendance for the first day of camp, but the chants of ‘Hoyer, Hoyer’ were louder when players emerged from the locker room.
Manziel said he improved as the day went along. As always, with him, though, the questions came around to his lifestyle, and that won’t change until he does. He was interviewed on July 26 after reporters talked to Haslam.
‘Here’s the thing that I want to say,’ Manziel said. ‘The reason that I’m popular, or the reason that people follow me and there’s been such a buzz around me, is when I went out on Saturdays at Texas A&M, I played with an extreme amount of passion and I played with my heart on my sleeve. But more than anything, I had fun. I have fun playing this game. I have fun going out on this field playing football. It’s what I live for. It’s what I do.
‘Same way off the field. Whether I’m playing golf, going out having a night life, whatever it is, I have a lot of fun. That’s what my life is, and luckily for me I’m living out my dream of playing in the NFL having a ton of fun. My dream has come true, and I finally got some time to get some downtime and celebrate that with my family, with my friends. This is the greatest life that I could have ever imagined for me, and I’m loving that.
‘Will I continue to get better being a professional and learn lessons about life? Of course; I’m 21 years old. Age is not an excuse, but I need to mature and I have done some immature things. Moving forward, I’m going to try and mature and get better and handle myself better as a professional. That’s really all I can say about that.
‘My life is incredible. I’m blessed to be in this position. I’m going to have fun each and every day, whether it’s practice, whether it’s training camp, whether it’s during the season going out and playing a game which will be even better, or it’s going out in the offseason or playing golf or hanging out with my family. Life is fun. Enjoy it while it’s here.’
Circle July 30 on your calendar. The players do not practice that day.
