Ex-Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel fired off a series of tweets Thursday afternoon, writing that he hasn’t “been this happy in a long time” and apologizing for some of his past behavior.
Tagging one tweet #LostInTheSauce, Manziel wrote that he “truly appreciates all the people in my life who reached out during the truly rough patches in ’16" and that he is “just trying to be a good person again.”
His tweets started when he wrote that someone had brought to his attention that he would be charging $50 for selfies at the Super Bowl next month. Though Manziel denied it and called it “the dumbest thing [he’s] ever heard,” that’s exactly what a Houston area memorabilia store has been advertising since early January.
Manziel hasn’t been involved in any football related-discussions in 10 months and had kept a low profile on Twitter and Instagram. He posts frequently on Snapchat, often from beaches or nightclubs, but one of his tweets Thursday said that he’s working towards a comeback.
No lie.. I was a douche in 2016 I'm just trying to be a good PERSON again#LostInTheSauce
— Johnny Manziel (@JManziel2) January 19, 2017
Late last year, Manziel and Dallas prosecutors reached a plea deal on charges stemming from an incident with his ex-girlfriend in which Manziel was accused of assault and voluntarily signed a restraining order to keep him away from her.
Manziel’s fame grew quickly in 2012, when he became the first freshman ever to win the Heisman Trophy. He flamed out of the NFL almost as fast after being selected in the first round of the 2014 draft. The Browns released him last March after he wouldn’t return the team’s calls and was involved in a series of off-field incidents.
Though he was on the injured-reserve list, he missed the final game of the 2015 season after reportedly flying to Las Vegas and wearing a disguise while partying the night before that game. He had been forced to watch the 2014 season finale from the locker room in Baltimore by then-Browns coach Mike Pettine.
Last summer, Manziel’s father said his son was “a druggie” who needed help, even if that meant going to jail.