Before the 2014 NFL draft, many wondered if former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel’s party lifestyle would make teams wary of drafting him. Manziel was projected as a top-three pick, but was drafted 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns.
Now Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith is warning that Johnny Football’s draft stock won’t be the only thing to have fallen if he doesn’t get his act together.
“That lifestyle is going to be a short lifestyle — a short career lifestyle — if he continues that,” Smith told CBS Dallas radio Tuesday. “As we used to say, you can’t keep burning the candle at both ends of the stick. The candle gets small fairly quick. So, Johnny is going to have to figure it out.”
Manziel hasn’t slowed down his partying since being drafted. He’s been spotted at parties in Austin and Las Vegas, with much of it being captured on social media.
“Hopefully he’s not doing anything to hurt himself outside of drinking, which is going to harm his body and harm his performance anyway,” Smith said. “But at the end of the day, he’s going to have to learn to manage those things.”
Smith also added that although many people Manziel’s age share his lifestyle, he’ll have to learn soon that all of the attention isn’t necessarily a good thing.
“Johnny is young. I was young and dumb myself at one point in time,” Smith said. “But maturity itself, and maturing as a professional athlete, is something that is required of every pro football player. I think right now Johnny Manziel is going to get a glimpse of what negative press can do for you. A lot of people think negative press is good press — or any press is good press. It’s not.”
