Johnny Manziel apologizes for missing ESPN College GameDay appearance ahead of alma mater Texas A&M’s first playoff game

On his journey from college football immortal to NFL flameout to colorful media personality, Johnny Manziel has always had a knack for generating headlines.

That unrelenting ability to garner attention reached new heights this past Saturday, when Manziel—better known as “Johnny Football”—found himself in the news not for something he did, but for something he didn’t do.

The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner released a statement Sunday, apologizing for mysteriously missing an appearance meant to represent his alma mater ahead of its biggest football game in years.

Along with his apology, Manziel shared messages from fans voicing their frustration. He referred to allegations that he partied in Miami the night before the game as a “fake narrative.”

GAME RECAP: Miami takes down Texas A&M; late interception in end zone seals gritty 10-3 playoff victory

What Happened

Saturday morning, Texas A&M hosted Miami at Kyle Field. It marked the Aggies’ first playoff game in program history, and naturally, ESPN’s College GameDay pregame show was broadcasted live from College Station.

Ahead of the pregame action, ESPN reported that Johnny Manziel would serve as the show’s celebrity guest picker, following the network’s tradition of selecting a notable figure connected to the home team.

However, Johnny Football was nowhere to be found.

Media outlets that had promoted Manziel’s appearance quietly deleted their announcements. Alex Caruso—an A&M basketball alum and two-time NBA champion—ultimately appeared on the show instead.

The network provided no explanation for the last-minute pivot, leaving fans to wonder what happened to Johnny.

His social media activity from the night before offered some clues.

Manziel posted images on his Instagram Story showing a Miami hotel room with a handle of vodka, along with scenes from inside the crowd at the Jake Paul–Anthony Joshua boxing match.

He also reposted a Bleacher Report announcement promoting an appearance on their pregame show, indicating he had planned to participate in pregame media in College Station as recently as Friday. He missed that appearance as well.

From that information, it doesn’t take a detective to piece together where Manziel was Friday night: Miami, watching the fight. While it can’t be confirmed whether he was drinking or partying, viewers are welcome to draw their own conclusions from the vodka post.

ALSO READ: ‘A foundation setter’: Texas A&M players reflect after historic season ends with playoff loss to Miami

Johnny’s Response

Following Manziel’s unexpected absence, A&M fans flooded social media with confusion and frustration.

Manziel addressed the situation Sunday, posting a lengthy statement to his Instagram Story.

TL;DR: He says missing the game was out of his control, thanks those who supported him, and apologizes to ESPN, the GameDay crew, and Texas A&M fans. He adds that he’s recovering, frustrated by what he calls a “fake narrative,” and remains confident in the Aggies moving forward.

Here’s the full statement:

“I will have plenty more to say about what transpired yesterday. There is almost nothing on this earth that would have made me miss that game. To all the people that genuinely reached out and checked in on me I cannot thank you enough. To ESPN, Pat, Coach, Desmond, and the entire crew on Gameday I apologize it was out of my control. To the Aggies and A&M fan base I’m sorry. I will continue to let everyone out there run with a fake narrative and at the end of the day perception always wins over reality. I love all of you who genuinely support me through good and bad like you’ve all done for years. I have no doubt Texas A&M and the Aggie football program will be in that position again. I’m recovering and feeling about a 3/10 going to rest up and try and get back to normal.

Much love.

-JM”

It remains unclear what Manziel is recovering from that left him feeling at a “3 out of 10,” and chances are he’ll never say.

But if he truly believes perception always wins over reality, he’ll have to live with his biggest supporters believing he partied the night before the biggest game in A&M’s recent history—and missed his commitments because of it.

That belief is especially damaging given the many opportunities the Texas A&M community has extended to Manziel in the years following his chaotic and humbling NFL exit. For many fans, it seemed like another instance of him failing to show up when support and encouragement were at their peak.

And at 33 years old, critics argue he still hasn’t shown the maturity required to be buttoned up and ready for a single day of work—doing what many would consider a dream job.

Based on additional Instagram Stories from Sunday, Manziel may not be as comfortable with those assumptions as he claims.

Shortly before posting his apology, Manziel shared screenshots of direct messages from angry A&M fans. He did not blur the identities of the senders, and while the messages do not cross lines beyond profanity, they are far from gentle criticism.

A few quotes that can be published include:

• “God, you have embarrassed our whole fanbase before our team even stepped on the field.”
• “This is your fault. How the [expletive] can you not make it to A&M for a [expletive] playoff game?”
• “Don’t talk about our amazing university ever again. You are a disgrace to it and don’t live by a single core value that we live by. You need help. Please disassociate with us until you change.”

Manziel was a legend during his two years at Texas A&M—there’s no denying that. His professional career told a different story, but one thing has remained consistent: he knows how to start a fire.

Unfortunately, those fires don’t just burn bright. They often burn everyone around him—especially the fans who have defended him since day one, and sometimes Manziel himself.

The takeaway is simple: When people tell you who they are through their actions, believe them.