The drama surrounding Heisman Trophy winner and soon-to-be former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel continues to grow.His team Tuesday denied a recent report by the NFL Network that Manziel showed up to a practice drunk and the Browns covered it up as a “concussion” just days before the end of the season.
The Browns claim an independent neurologist examined Manziel four days before the game.In a statement released by the team, they said: "Johnny Manziel came to our facility on the morning of December 30th and complained of concussion symptoms. He was tested by an independent neurologist and entered the league's concussion protocol. He remained in the protocol until January 12th after being cleared by the independent neurologist."
“Johnny Football” as he’s known, was reportedly spotted in Las Vegas wearing a wig and partying heavily on the weekend of the Browns’ final game.
The teams denial comes a day after 23 year old Manziel’s ex-girlfriend filed and received a restraining protective order, claiming he beat her so badly that she lost hearing in her left ear.
An attorney for Colleen Crowley filed her affidavit last week in Tarrant County, TX, in which she states that she and two friends met up with Manziel at a hotel room.After her friends left, she was alone with Manziel.
Then, according to the affidavit: "We started having a discussion about things I had heard earlier in the week about him being with a girl who had caused us problems in the past.”
"I told Respondent that if I was going to spend the night, it would be on the couch. It was then that Respondent threw me on the bed.He claimed it was ‘playfully,' but it frightened me and I took it seriously.
"I decided I wanted leave the hotel but when I got to his room door and tried to open it, he restrained me from leaving and I tried to fight him off. I became very scared that he was going to hurt me."
Crowley goes on to explain that Manzeil forced her into a car but as he backed up, she was able to flee and hide behind a bush.She says Manziel got out of the car, found her and grabbed her and threw her back into the car.
"He hit me with his open hand on my left ear for jumping out of the car. I realized immediately that I could not hear out of that ear, and I still cannot today, two days later."
Crowley’s lawyer told a local Dallas TV station that her client has a ruptured eardrum that they expect to slowly heal.
The affidavit continues: "Fearful for my life, I hit [him] several times, hoping I could back out of the car. [He] threw me off of him and I hit my head on the car window and I fell into the passenger floorboard. Still fearful for my life, I stayed in the floorboard motionless until he pulled me back onto the seat."
Manziel, Crowly says, then drove her to her apartment as the fighting continued: "I was crying and telling him 'I hate you! Just leave me alone! I hate you!' [He] then told me he was going to drop me off, take my car and go kill himself."
She says she was worried her was “on drugs or having a psychotic break” and decided to keep him calm by telling him she loved him and “we can figure this out”.
"[He] started laughing at this and I became really scared. I started crying even more and he told me 'Shut up or I'll kill us both!' Then I started begging him not to kill me and he immediately responded, 'I would never kill you. You don't deserve that. I would only kill myself!' He was not making sense."
A judge approved the protective order request which means Manziel cannot approach Crowley for two years and he has to pay $12,500 in attorneys’ fees for her.
Manziel’s representatives have so far reportedly declined to comment on the affidavit.The Cleveland Browns will reportedly release Manziel in March as they investigate the domestic violence allegations brought by Crowly.
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