Johnny Manziel apologized Sunday to ESPN and Texas A&M fans after missing a scheduled appearance on College GameDay ahead of the Aggies’ College Football Playoff game against Miami.
The former Heisman Trophy winner was expected to serve as the guest picker Saturday morning in College Station. However, he did not appear, prompting ESPN to pivot to NBA champion and former Texas A&M basketball standout Alex Caruso.
The network did not provide a reason for Manziel’s absence. His no-show fueled online speculation after he was seen Friday night in Miami attending the Jake Paul–Anthony Joshua fight, less than 12 hours before the broadcast.
On Sunday, Manziel addressed the situation in a statement posted to Instagram, saying the circumstances were “out of my control” and offering a direct apology to ESPN’s “GameDay” crew and the Aggies’ fan base.
“There is almost nothing on this Earth that would have made me miss that game,” Manziel wrote. “To ESPN, Pat, Coach, Desmond, and the entire crew of GameDay, I apologize. To the Aggies and A&M fan base, I’m sorry.”
Manziel added that he was recovering and planned to rest, while declining to elaborate further on the details. He remains a polarizing figure more than a decade after his college stardom.
Texas A&M’s season ended Saturday with a 10-3 loss to the Miami Hurricanes, in which the Aggies were held to a season-low in points. It was also the first time in CFP history there was no score at halftime between the two teams.
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