Fansided

Ryan Leaf on Johnny Manziel: ‘I’m holding up a mirror’

By Matt Verderame

Sep 20, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) throws a pass in the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 20, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) throws a pass in the second quarter against the Tennessee Titans at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott R. Galvin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Ryan Leaf compared himself to Johnny Manziel in an interview with NBC Sports.

Everybody knows the story of Ryan Leaf. Back in 1998, Leaf was a stud and many draft experts were going back and forth on whether he, or Peyton Manning, should be taken with the first-overall pick that spring. Of course, the Indianapolis Colts went with the right player and took Manning, leaving the San Diego Chargers to take Leaf.

Leaf would only last three seasons in San Diego before spending 2001 with both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys. In subsequent years, Leaf would be in and out of trouble, typically because of pills, and eventually did prison time earlier in the current decade. On Friday, Leaf spoke with Dan Patrick of NBC Sports radio and said that looking at Manziel is like “I’m holding up a mirror.”

For anybody involved with Manziel, that statement has to send chills down their collective spines. Leaf hopefully has his life straight now, but it took the better part of 20 years to get there. Manziel is only 23 years old and has his life ahead of him, but he is likely to be cut by Cleveland in a few weeks, and could very soon be out of the NFL.

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