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Jenna Laine, ESPN Staff Writer
TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans revealed that he was not fully aware of the extent of his former Texas A&M teammate Johnny Manziel’s struggles with mental health, although he knew that Manziel had been addressing it.
In the documentary “Untold: Johnny Football,” Manziel, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2012, shared that he had attempted suicide after going on a “$5 million bender.”
Evans commended Manziel for opening up about his experiences in the documentary and expressed his support.
“I knew he was going through a difficult time, but I didn’t know about his suicide attempt. That was surprising,” said Evans, referring to the former Cleveland Browns quarterback. “I care about him, and it’s important that he shared this news.”
In the documentary, Manziel revealed that he had burned bridges with coaches, teammates, friends, and family, lost endorsements, and refused help for his substance abuse problems. This led him to plan to spend all his money and take his own life.
“I had decided to do everything I wanted to do at that point in my life,” said Manziel. “Spend as much money as possible, and then my plan was to end my life. I even bought a gun in advance. I wanted to hit rock bottom so that it would seem like a good excuse and an escape.”
However, Manziel recalled that “the gun just clicked on me” and his suicide attempt was unsuccessful.
Manziel also discussed his struggles with bipolar disorder, which he self-medicated to cope with after being diagnosed in 2017.
“I think it was courageous of him to reveal all of that,” said Evans, emphasizing that there is nothing wrong with seeking help. “It takes strength to admit those things.”
Evans shared that he already knew about most of the information Manziel disclosed in the documentary. He watched it on the day of its release and even appeared in it alongside Manziel during the Texas A&M Hall of Fame inductions last year.
The two remain in touch intermittently.
“I thought it was a well-made documentary,” Evans told ESPN. “It answered a lot of questions and shed light on many things.”
Evans mentioned that Manziel faced unprecedented challenges as a college freshman, suddenly thrust into the national spotlight after winning the Heisman at the age of 20. He was surrounded by celebrities and his off-field misadventures were constantly documented on social media.
Manziel admitted that he engaged in self-destructive behavior due to his growing discontent with football upon reaching the NFL.
“People know that he is extremely talented,” Evans stated. “Unfortunately, his time in the spotlight came and went very quickly, which is hard for anyone to handle. He was the first of his kind, a rock star college quarterback hanging out with celebrities. That was a tough situation for him from the start.”
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