Johnny Manziel blames ‘College GameDay’ absence on ‘unbelievable’ virus

Johnny Manziel was a no-show on ESPN’s College GameDay last month, but he insists it wasn’t his behavior or late-night partying that kept him away, it was an act of God.

Manziel was scheduled to be the guest picker on College GameDay ahead of Texas A&M’s playoff game against Miami. But when the Saturday morning show started, host Rece Davis announced former Texas A&M basketball player Alex Caruso would be replacing Manziel.

The night before his scheduled ESPN appearance, Manziel was in Miami for the Anthony Joshua-Jake Paul fight, which led to rampant speculation about why he was a no-show the next morning on GameDay. And on the latest episode of his podcast Glory Daze, Manziel ripped the “clickbait” media for speculating on his absence, claiming it wasn’t being out late or partying that caused the absence — although he was out late in another city, hours before he was set to appear in College Station for ESPN.

Because of his relationship with Jake Paul, Manziel said he wanted to attend the influencer turned boxer’s fight against Anthony Joshua in Miami, calling it an “unbelievable experience” and an amazing night. The fight ended at 1:31 a.m. Despite being scheduled to appear in Texas for ESPN at 9 a.m., Manziel went from the fight to one of his favorite nightclubs in Miami, E11even.

“I started feeling really bad. I walked to the restroom trying to throw up,” Manziel recalled. “I wasn’t drinking like I normally do in the past. I had so much planned for College GameDay. Such an exciting time to be an Aggie…I had a ton of surprises for GameDay.”

Manziel said he had Drake going to the game with him and planned on putting his Heisman Trophy down in front of Nick Saban as a “funny bit.” Unfortunately for Manziel, he was still in Miami as GameDay was airing.

“As this night progresses, about 2:15, I’m starting to feel really sick,” Manziel continued. “I call my driver, I tell him to come pick me up. I get in the car and I’m hanging my head out the window the whole time and I’m just feeling really nauseous.”

Manziel said he got back to his hotel and was throwing up every 30 minutes. He later recalled being in Dallas with his family a few days prior for his sister’s birthday, where he says two of his three nieces were sick with a virus. Manziel said he was hugging and sharing food with his nieces throughout the day.

“And that night before the game, I’m hit with an unbelievable virus that really put me out…the speculation and the way that people have spoken about that – are you guys out of your f***ing mind? To think that I would just f***ing go out and miss this game?” he said. “Yes, my past and who I am and the decisions I’ve made throughout the years, look back at Texas A&M, look back at Cleveland, why wouldn’t it be an easy decision for you guys to pile on that and run with your assumptions and your clickbait articles.”

Maybe he was really sick from his nieces. Maybe it was an act of God. But if Manziel really wanted to help his chances of making it to his scheduled appearance on GameDay at 9 a.m. on a Saturday in Texas, he probably shouldn’t have been going to a club at 2 a.m. in Miami the night before. And when he was a no-show on GameDay after being at a nightclub in a different city just hours earlier, Manziel has to understand that not everyone is going to assume the absence must have been an act of God.