Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel didn’t start his CFL career with Hamilton Tiger-Cats on a high note. It was announced on Monday that Tiger-Cats traded Manziel to last-placed Montreal Alouettes in a five-player trade. This might be a welcomed change for the former first-round pick because he didn’t play a single official game for Hamilton since joining in May.
“We have acquired an exceptional quarterback with undeniable talent,” – said Alouettes general manager Kavis Reed in a statement. “With his great mobility, his athletic abilities and his instinct we believe that he will have a positive impact on our offense.”
At Montreal, Johnny Manziel will join coach Mike Sherman, who recruited him to Texas A&M back in 2011. Manziel redshirted that year, and before 2012 season started, Sherman was out as the coach of Aggies.
“This is a move both Kavis Reed and I felt we needed to make at this time,” – Sherman told the Montreal Gazette. “Neither one of us believes in the status quo and felt we needed to shake things up. Johnny is someone we believe can elevate one of the most important positions on our team. I look forward to reuniting with Johnny again and working with him.”
After winning the Heisman Trophy in 2012, Johnny Manziel played one more year of football at Texas A&M before declaring for NFL Draft. The Cleveland Browns took him as the 22nd overall pick, but never managed to make an impact in the league. He struggled with inconsistency, which combined with his problematic off-field behavior made Brown release him on March 11, 2016.
Manziel didn’t play football professionally since then and is now trying to resurrect his career. After failing to find a job in NFL, he decided to try his luck in the Canadian Football League.
