Stop, rewind, freeze. There is no getting away from watching tapes if you are the shot-caller in the NFL and this work ethos can make or break a player.
Former Cleveland Brown QB Johnny Manziel fits into the category of a failed NFL dream, and he admits as much in a newly-released Netflix documentary, “Untold: Johnny Football”.
Manziel was one of the brightest up-and-coming QB’s and such was his legend at Texas A&M he trademarked his nickname.
He managed to trademark the name, but he should have spent some more time watching the tape, old reels, analysis, heck even Any Given Sunday. Maybe Al Pacino could have given him better advice than former agent Erik Burkhardt, who was quoted as saying, “I’m like, well, he’s got to watch some tape.”
The camera pans to Johnny Football and he shows a zero sign, which is slightly less than his 3-11 NFL record.
This all happened under the watch of then Browns GM Ray Farmer, who did try to broach the topic to Burkhardt.
Farmer must have been out of his mind with apoplexy, but if a man does not want to watch the tape, then de does not have to watch the tape. If a man does not want a long, record-breaking career then a man does not want to have one. It is that simple.
Johnny Football is a precautionary tale to any aspiring QB – just watch the tape.
