Netflixâs Johnny Manziel doc: 16 things learned from cheating drug tests to selling autographs
Netflix’s new documentary, “Untold: Johnny Football,” is an unabashed look at the rollercoaster life of Johnny Manziel, who was part-time football star and full-time frat boy.
“Win or lose, we booze,” Manziel’s long-time friend Nate Fitch revealed was something the former Texas A&M quarterback said often.
The 72-minute documentary shows Manziel’s success on the field at Texas A&M from his big win at Alabama in 2012 to the Heisman Trophy, but it also showcases his struggles off it with alcohol, partying and NCAA violations.
RELATED: Manziel reveals his prediction in 2012 win over Alabama: ‘F-word Nick Saban’
In the end, Manziel appears to be more mature and introspective, understanding his role in his wild ride.
Warning: Spoilers to the documentary lay ahead.
Here are 15 things we learned from “Untold: Johnny Football.”
1. Texas A&M cashed in on Manziel
In an era before NIL, Manziel didn’t make any money on the thousands of No. 2 Adidas jerseys sold. However, the quarterback’s success his freshman year resulted in a huge spike in donations to the university. The Texas A&M foundation raised $740.6 million in a year, which is $300 million more than any other one-year period in the university’s history. Part of that money put the Kyle Field expansion in motion, securing more than 100,000 seats.
It was also reported Manziel’s Heisman Trophy win was worth $37 million in free publicity for the university.
2. When Nate’s role as manager started
The Aggies went to Tuscaloosa and defeated then-No. 1 Alabama. That’s when “Johnny Football” took off. “Pure chaos anytime I left the house,” Manziel said. “Nate turned into a manager for me. Everything went through Nate.”
3. Manziel didn’t talk to media in Year 1
The press never got to interview Manziel in his freshman campaign. The school did hold a press conference at the end of the season, a week before the Heisman Trophy presentation.
The reason was coach Kevin Sumlin had a rule that freshmen weren’t allowed to speak to the media.
4. Autographs for cash, how A-Rod was involved
It started Jan. 7, 2013, the night of the national championship game in Miami. A guy approached Manziel and offered him $3,000 for autographs. After hours of signing, another man approached Manziel and slipped him the number for the “king of autographs.” Former MLB star Alex Rodriguez was called to vouch for the “king.”
“‘A-Rod, tell this dude I’m good,’” Fitch revealed the guy said on the phone to Yankee star. “’He’s 100 percent good,’ Fitch said A-Rod’s reply was.
“Can’t argue with that,” Fitch said.
There was a room at the Fontainebleau Hilton all set up with items to sign. When done, they were to send a picture of the autographed items. A code to the room safe was then sent to Manziel where there was $30,000 cash.
There were at least four more trips to Miami over the next four months for $30,000 cash payouts.
5. Manziel’s grandfather helped
According to Fitch, they only had to worry about hiding the money. Signing autographs was perfectly legal. However, with just cash, there were some things Manziel couldn’t buy, like plane tickets. In the doc, Manziel explains how his grandfather wrote him a check to deposit in his account, and Manziel would give his grandfather cash in return.
6. Nate planted cover started
How did Manziel explain all the lavish items he had through his Texas A&M career? According to Fitch, he simply planted the narrative that the Manziel family had more money than they actually did. And it worked. Major networks and media outlets reported the Manziels had oil money.
“The biggest spin that exists today I created,” Fitch said. “I created the narrative that his family is vastly wealthy.”
“We sold a little bit of a dream that my family had more money than they did,” Manziel added.
7. The money gesture
After an investigation, the NCAA suspended Manziel a half a game against Rice to start his second year in College Station.
“I was pissed but had the biggest smirk on my face,” Manziel said.
At that point, he was ready to stick it to the NCAA.
Enter the money gesture.
“I didn’t like it, but people begged for it,” Michelle Manziel said.
8. Nate got a cut of the money
Manziel said Fitch was willing to be the fall guy if anything ever went down. Manziel and Fitch split any revenue 80-20, with Manziel getting the majority.
9. Manziel’s dad blames Texas A&M
Paul Manziel blamed the university for Manziel’s wild ways.
“What Johnny needed was to be held accountable,” he explained. “When you turn your son over to a coach and program, they are supposed to not only teach him how to play football, they are responsible to turn him into a good young man.”
10. Manziel beat drug tests at A&M, combine
Erik Burkhardt, Manziel’s agent, had the quarterback on a strict pre-draft training regimen in San Diego after he left school.
He drug tested Manziel every other week because he knew teams would have questions, and Burkhardt wanted to have answers for them. “I knew it would be an issue, so I wanted proof he was drug free.”
One week before the scouting combine, Manziel “broke.” He went to a party and didn’t remember much, but he knew enough to know taking a drug test could be a problem.
Burkhardt told him to forget the combine. He knew a positive drug test could have Manziel slide from a potential first-round pick to undrafted.
But, Manziel said he was going, so they compromised. Day 2 is usually drug test day.
“I called Paul (Manziel) and Michelle (Manziel),” he recalled. “I’m like you are checking yourself into the hospital, Paul, with like a heavy heart, so that Johnny can divert and come to the combine for 12 hours, so that it doesn’t look weird. We’ll put him on a plane to go see dad in the hospital.”
Manziel had his own ideas. He would chug water and flush the toxins from his system.
“He goes, ‘I’ve been passing these test at A&M for a while,’” Burkhardt recalled Manziel saying. “Which, I came to find out on my own, it was like, their fourth-string quarterback who was pissing for him at A&M.”
Manziel continued to “crush” liquids and took drug tests in Burkhardt’s room until they were comfortable with the results.
11. Why he was never considered No. 1 pick
The Houston Texans had the first pick in the draft. Could Manziel return to his home state? It was never a possibility, according to Burkhardt.
Manziel went to a charity golf event at a Houston-area country club. He even donated some of his own money to the cause. However, by the time he gets to No. 5, the owner of the club got reports Manziel was already drunk, taken off his shirt, breaking clubs over his knee and throwing them in the pond.
“There goes Houston,” Burkhardt said of being drafted.
12. Manziel used agent, lawyer as WRs
During a private workout for the Cleveland Browns, the receivers scheduled to work with Manziel were no-shows. The dinner in College Station with Cleveland executives the night prior was a success, and Manziel was ready to celebrate. By the time it was time to throw the next morning, Burkhardt said, one receiver was missing, and another was so drunk he couldn’t get up.
“Dinner goes great,” he said. “Go up to room. Bottles of 1942, drinking straight out of bottles.”
So Burkhardt and Manziel’s lawyer ran pass routes.
13. Manziel never watched film
While in Cleveland, Manziel never studied.
“The GM called me and said he’s not watching tape,” Burkhardt said. “I said, ‘He’s got to watch some tape.’ He’s like, ‘EB, his iPad hours is 0.00.’”
Manziel said, “Zero,” insinuating that’s how much time spent watching film.
14. Reason he got cut from Cleveland
He was already on thin ice. He skipped team meetings on purpose.
On Jan. 2, 2016, he went to Las Vegas, a day before a game. The plan was to be back for a Sunday kick. He wore a wig and mustache. He got recognized, and social media went nuts. He tried to get back to Cleveland but missed the last commercial flight, so he partied and “detached from all of it.”
Soon after, he was cut.
15. Manziel and Fitch don’t have a relationship today
Manziel and Fitch are never shown together in the documentary. We learn – through Manziel – that’s because they no longer have a relationship. Manziel hasn’t spoken with his childhood friend/college confidant/business partner since the end of his college career.
“I think I was considered a very risky person for him because I knew everything,” Fitch said in the documentary. “And so I think the council he was receiving at the time was probably sound advice, which is like, ‘Hey, you’re no longer doing this half-ass, 20-year-old management.”
Manziel reveals it was always the plan to part ways when he decided to go pro.
“I kinda think he felt his role – and the whole role – was diminished, and he kinda pulled away,” Manziel explained.
“And I don’t think we have spoken again since then.”
Fitch, on the other hand, said he didn’t care about the business.
“I just knew I was super loyal, and that I contributed everything – mind, body, soul, spirit – to help him and an image needed to change from being best friend to it needed to be a big firm.
“I didn’t care about the business side of it. I truly didn’t. The only thing I was hurting about was that I loved Johnny. He was my best friend.”
Manziel said he “felt terrible about that but, at the same time, because of what my track record was, they weren’t gonna allow me to do that.
“And Nate being away was probably a safeguard for a while. I was unbelievably loyal to my guys until you can’t be anymore.”
16. Manziel lost weight, tried to commit suicide
“The gun just clicked,” he said, insinuating a bullet didn’t discharge.
Manziel, after being cut from Cleveland said “it was the biggest weight off his shoulders,” but it didn’t change things for him outside the lines.
He revealed he did cocaine and oxy. His weight fell from 215 pounds to 175 pounds in nine months. He was diagnosed as bi-polar.
“I went to buy a gun months before I knew he was going to use it,” Manziel explained. “Wanted to make it as bad as I could, so it looked like I had an excuse.”
Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.