More Untold: Johnny Football's struggles helped me see my own

Watching the recently released Netflix documentary “Untold: Johnny Football” reminded me of a truth – Manziel’s rise and fall helped me understand my own addiction in a way I wish I could pay back. When the world sees clips of the self-destructive, rebellious former Texas A&M quarterback, I see myself. 

Manziel was drafted 22nd in the 2014 NFL Draft. That fall, the state of Texas sentenced me to 30 days in county jail with 90 days of rehab to follow for repeated probation violations. I was in denial about the problem. I blamed the system. My biological father. Crohn’s Disease. Anything to blind me to my own truth – I was an addict suffering from mental illness.