In 2012, the brightest star in all of sports was an undersized freshman quarterback at unheralded Texas A&M, whose fervor on the field was rivaled only by his hard-partying ways off it - you can call him "Johnny Football". The magnetic football player captured the nation's attention and initially relished his alter ego, but as the money rolled in, the scrutiny heightened, and Manziel rejected his newfound fame and suddenly lost his way. With astonishing candor, Manziel - along with his family, coaches, his former best friend, and his agent - details what happened behind the scenes as scandals piled up in the glare of paparazzi flashbulbs. He had a controversial road, but Manziel went on to search for something even greater: inner peace and happiness with a quieter life that he reveals here.

The Rise, The Fall, The Redemption of a football icon

UNTOLD: Johnny Football
Premieres August 8, 2023
Directed by Ryan Duffy
Format: Film, 70 min

Untold: Johnny Football is the second installment of four weeks of UNTOLD.

More Untold stories to follow on August 15 and 22. Untold: Jake Paul the Problem Child is now streaming globally only on Netflix.

In 2012, the brightest star in all of sports was an undersized freshman quarterback at unheralded Texas A&M, whose fervor on the field was rivaled only by his hard-partying ways off it. Dubbed "Johnny Football," the magnetic football player captured the nation's attention and initially relished his alter ego: "I wanted to be Johnny Football. Johnny Football never had a bad time," he says. But as the money rolled in, the scrutiny heightened, and Manziel rejected his newfound fame and suddenly lost his way. With astonishing candor, Manziel - along with his family, coaches, his former best friend, and his agent - details what happened behind the scenes as scandals piled up in the glare of paparazzi flashbulbs. He fumbled his shot at broader success after the Cleveland Browns picked him in the first round of the NFL draft in 2014, but Manziel went on to search for something even greater: inner peace and happiness with a quieter life that he reveals here.

Quote from Ryan Duffy, Director

"I hope viewers take away a nuanced and intimate understanding of Johnny and the running tension between his life as Johnny Football and Johnny Manziel. This isn't one of those sports docs on an older player looking back on victory or defeat and reflecting accordingly in a tidy ending. Johnny is still mid-stream in a lot of this, and I hope this doc offers a compelling and honest look at his present-tense processing."

About UNTOLD VOL 3:

You think you know these stories, but you don't.

UNTOLD returns with Vol 3 - a four-week summer event.

• August 1 - Untold: Jake Paul the Problem Child [now streaming]
• August 8 - Untold: Johnny Football
• August 15 - Untold: Hall of Shame
• August 22 - Untold: Swamp Kings

Executive Producers: Chapman Way, Maclain Way; Ben Silverman, Howard T. Owens, and Isabel San Vargas for Propagate; Ryan Duffy, Doug Banker, Mike Seander; Louise Norman and Tom Sheahan for RAW.

Directors: Andrew Renzi, Ryan Duffy, Bryan Storkel, Katharine English

Synopsis

The critically acclaimed docuseries UNTOLD returns with Volume 3, a four-week summer event that pulls back the curtain on epic tales from the wide (and wild) world of sports. From boxing to football to doping scandals, these new stories go well beyond the headlines and upend what we thought we knew. Premiering weekly, each character-driven story hinges on candid, intimate first-person accounts from those who lived it - to reveal the grit, resilience, heartbreak, triumph, and even humor beneath the sweat. Jake Paul gets up close and personal as he tries to transcend YouTube stardom to revolutionize the fight world. Johnny Manziel, the Texas A&M quarterback hailed as "Johnny Football," burns bright until he flames out under pressure. Victor Conte and Balco spin a dark web that tangles up top athletes in a steroid controversy. And the story of the Florida Gators' stunning rise and fall in college football from 2005 to 2010 - featuring Coach Urban Meyer and star players such as Tim Tebow, Brandon Siler and Brandon Spikes - is finally told in the definitive document of what really happened.