Johnny Manziel Says He’s ‘Closing the Chapter’ on Football: ‘I Have So Much Life Left to Live’ (Exclusive)

Johnny Manziel is ready to put his controversial past behind him.

The 30-year-old former quarterback, whose tumultuous football career is the subject of Netflix’s Untold: Johnny Football, says his life looks much different these days after closing “the chapter” on football.

“I think [the documentary] gives a little bit of insight into my mindset that football is a closed chapter for me and I want to do more in life,” he tells PEOPLE.

“At 30 years old, I have so much life left to live, and my football chapter’s closed, but let’s find out what’s going to be next and what I want to do moving forward to make myself happy and live a nice life.”

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The former Texas A&M star says he approaches his days with a slower pace, namely through quality time with his family and “lots of golf,” although the sport isn’t something he’s considering pursuing professionally.

“I try my best to play as much golf as I physically can,” says Manziel, who now resides in Scottsdale, Arizona, which he calls “the mecca of golf.”

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On a “normal day in the life,” Manziel gets to the golf course by 11 a.m. and plays “as much as” he can before the sun sets. After golf, “I have dinner with my boys and do it all over again,” says Manziel.

During college football season, he says he’s “very football active on the weekends — like any other guy throughout America.”

Johnny Manziel reacts in preseason game vs. Buffalo Bills.

“I’m religiously glued in to Texas A&M Games,” the school’s star alum says. “I’m definitely more of a college football fan than I am an NFL fan, but now on Saturdays and Sundays, just like anybody else, I’m glued to a TV flipping through a million different channels and probably making some sports bets on the side to see if I can get lucky every now and then.”

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Manziel says he’s also prioritizing family time since his nieces were born. “Daily life for me these days, more than anything, is that I’m an uncle to my sister’s two beautiful girls,” he gushes.

His sister, Meri, sat down for Netflix’s documentary on her brother’s dark days struggling with mental health and addiction issues. “I think my mom and sister were able to embrace the project because it was something that I wanted to do.”

CINCINNATI, OH – NOVEMBER 5: Johnny Manziel #2 of the Cleveland Browns walks off of the field after being defeated by the Cincinnati Bengals 31-10 at Paul Brown Stadium on November 5, 2015 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Andrew Weber/Getty Images

As Manziel prepares for the world to see Untold: Johnny Football, streaming on Netflix now, he says he isn’t paying attention to the reaction from fans.

“I’ve just been closed off to my socials and things like that for the most part and haven’t really been searching out or seeing any of that,” Manziel shares. “I think as a little bit of time goes by I’ll be able to do that and react and see how it is, but I’m very much out of the scene compared to what I was 10 years ago.”

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He continues: “The people that matter to me the most are my family and my friends and people in my close inner circles. So those are the opinions that mean the most to me.”

Opening up about his past suicide attempt and struggles with cocaine and oxycontin, Manziel says he feels that he’s “in a stable enough place to share the story” with the world, adding, “and I think in due time a lot of good will come from it.”

Untold: Johnny Football is now streaming on Netflix.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education