Hangover Heisman: Johnny Manziel Apologizes After Sudden 'No Show' At College GameDay
Even with his best days behind him, Johnny Manziel wasn’t there to celebrate what he once meant to Texas A&M.
In a development that surprised absolutely nobody familiar with the Johnny Football brand, former Heisman winner Johnny Manziel was a ghost for ESPN’s College GameDay on Saturday.
Expected as the celebrity guest picker for Texas A&M’s playoff clash against Miami, Manziel opted for a no-show (perhaps for the better, in the end).
The broadcast pivoted to the NBA’s Alex Caruso, who picked the home team to win big, though the Aggies proved to be losers on the field in an ugly 10-3 loss.
BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 15: Johnny Manziel attends Harold and Carole Pump Foundation 25th Anniversary Celebrity Dinner at The Beverly Hilton on August 15, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)
While ESPN offered no on-air explanation for the absence, internet sleuths spotted Manziel ringside at the Jake Paul-Anthony Joshua fight in Miami the night before.
That Netflix-sponsored circus didn’t wrap up until midnight. Getting from South Florida to College Station for a 9 a.m. set requires either a private jet with supersonic speed or a disciplined night out … Johnny Football has never been accused of the latter.
Manziel waited until Sunday to break his silence, issuing a defensive apology via Instagram.
His statement included a swipe at the "fake narrative" surrounding his disappearance while expressing regret to the GameDay crew and Aggies faithful.
In a lengthy Stories post, Manziel wrote:
"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."
COLLEGE STATION, TX - AUGUST 31: Johnny Manziel #2 of the Texas A&M Aggies celebrates a third quarter touchdown during the game against the Rice Owls at Kyle Field on August 31, 2013 in College Station, Texas. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
Even with his best days behind him, Johnny Manziel wasn’t there to celebrate what he once meant to Texas A&M.
While the Aggies' offense spent the afternoon sleepwalking on the field, Manziel was busy losing a battle with the snooze button in South Beach.
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