Baker Mayfield may be a fellow Texas-born quarterback, but that’s about as much as he and Johnny Manziel have in common, Manziel insists.
“We’re completely different people,” the former Browns signal-caller told Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take” podcast, via ESPN. “We have a similar background. We’re both from Texas. We both played Texas high school football, but he’s not me, and I’m not him.”
Mayfield, 22, expected to be selected in the first round of this spring’s draft, has drawn comparisons to the league’s cautionary tale following a slew of on-and-off field incidents. The Oklahoma quarterback was arrested last February and charged with disorderly conduct, public intoxication and resisting arrest, before accepting a plea deal in June. He also grabbed his crotch as a taunt to an opponent this past fall.
“Baker is fiery as hell,” Manziel said. “He gets a little amped up on the sidelines. Once you’re on the football field and you do some things that are a little outlandish, like guys do that all the time. Was it maybe a little bit too much? Sure. But at the end of the day, the guy made a mistake, he paid his dues and I think he’ll be better off because of it and he’ll learn from that.”
As Mayfield prepares for the NFL, questions regarding his character continue to surface. Last month, the Heisman Trophy winner defended his behavior at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.
“Everybody wants to portray the bad body, the Johnny Manziel stuff, but I love the game of football,” Mayfield said, per The Denver Post. “There’s no doubt about that. I’m an emotional player. I do anything it takes to win. I love being around my teammates, and I love leading and having responsibility.”
Though Manziel’s future in football is a bit more bleak, the former first-round draft pick is hopeful for a comeback.
“I am watching all the other guys doing what I want to be doing, and I am sitting on a couch being a loser,” Manziel said Monday in an interview with “Good Morning America.”
Diagnosed with bipolar disorder nearly a year ago, Manziel, who said he no longer drinks alcohol, is ready to put his turbulent past behind him.
“I am coming back from a huge downfall,” Manziel said. “I don’t know what kind of comeback it will be, but I know I want to get back on a football field, to what brought me so much joy in my life.”