Johnny Manziel to Discuss Depression, Alcohol Use in 'GMA' Interview

Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel opened up to Good Morning America about how he used alcohol during a period in his life when he had depression.

The show shared a clip from Manziel's interview, which will air Monday:

The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner hasn't played in the NFL since the Browns released him in March 2016.

Manziel's drinking had been a storyline throughout his college career with the Texas A&M Aggies. In a July 2013 piece for ESPN The Magazine, Wright Thompson spoke to Manziel's father, Paul, who said he thought Manziel consumed alcohol to deal with the stress in his life.

Thompson also reported Manziel's parents and then-Texas A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin ordered him to attend alcohol counseling after his June 2012 arrest following an altercation in College Station. Manziel eventually pleaded guilty in July 2013 to failing to properly identify himself to police.

More than a year-and-a-half after Cleveland selected him 22nd overall in the 2014 NFL draft, Browns head coach Mike Pettine discussed how the team didn't account for how serious Manziel's off-field issues were.

"You see the reputation, what was out there," Pettine told reporters in December 2015. "I don't think we anticipated that his problems, his issues, how deep-rooted they were, the extent of it."

After unsuccessfully trying to get his son to enter a treatment facility, Paul Manziel expressed serious concern for Manziel's long-term health in February 2016.

"I truly believe if they can't get him help, he won't live to see his 24th birthday," he said in an interview with the Dallas Morning News' Kate Hairopoulos.

Manziel told ESPN's Ed Werder in January 2017 he had remained sober in hopes of getting another chance to play in the NFL.

Last month, Manziel and his agent pursued a deal with the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats. The two sides were unable to reach an agreement by Manziel's deadline of Jan. 31, at which point his agent indicated he'd begin focusing on opportunities to play elsewhere.