Johnny Manziel to Play in Fan Controlled Football League in 2021

Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel will be back on the gridiron with Fan Controlled Football, according to ESPN's Kevin Seifert.

The league, which is scheduled to get underway in February, allows fans to build rosters and call plays in seven-on-seven games.

"The more I heard about what this was going to be, the more I felt it was going to be something that was just very fun," Manziel said to Seifert. "It's going to be very fan-oriented and something I could get behind without being extremely, extremely, extremely serious, the way that my football career has been in the past."

The FCF confirmed his involvement.

"We could not be more excited to have Johnny Manziel join the FCF," said Sohrob Farudi, the league's co-founder and CEO. "To have one of the most talented and exciting players in the history of college football is a historic moment for the FCF, and for our fans who will have the opportunity to call the plays for Manziel."

Manziel electrified football fans at Texas A&M, becoming the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy in 2012 after throwing for 3,706 yards and 26 touchdowns while running for 1,410 yards and 21 scores. That represents the pinnacle of his career to date.

The Cleveland Browns selected the former Aggies star with the No. 22 pick in the 2014 draft. He played in 14 games over two years before the Browns released him in 2016 after a string of off-field issues. Shortly before he was let go, the Dallas Police Department announced it was investigating an allegation from Manziel's former girlfriend Colleen Crowley that he dragged her into a car by her hair and threatened to kill her and himself.

In December of that year, he reached a plea deal that would see him undergo counseling in order to have the charge dismissed.

The 28-year-old has since made stops in the Canadian Football League and the Alliance of American Football.

The FCF is made up of four teams with Richard Sherman, Mike Tyson, Quavo and Marshawn Lynch among the owners. The upcoming season will run for six games.

According to Seifert, former Florida State and Hampton quarterback Deondre Francois is also among the players committed to suiting up.