Bernie Kosar says he’s concerned about Johnny Manziel’s lifestyle, and can’t seem to comprehend why the young Cleveland Browns quarterback would be so disrespectful as to refuse life advice from a washed-out NFLer who has lost a job and been investigated by police over apparent alcohol incidents.
That would-be sage and model of behavior: Kosar himself.
“I’m embarrassed to even tell you how many times I tried,” Kosar told USA Today, apparently not too embarrassed. “I have tried to call him directly 18 different ways. If he chooses not to talk to me, that’s his choice. I’m not mad at him. But there’s a point where there’s an element of respect that’s involved.”
The 52-year-old Kosar was a Browns fan favorite as a player, from 1985 to 1993. In his retirement, after plunging into bankruptcy, he worked as a television analyst for the team, but lost that job in 2013 after a string of incidents including multiple bizarre, slurred on-air rants and a cop stop for allegedly operating a vehicle while intoxicated. Alcohol abuse never was officially confirmed, and Kosar attributed his erratic behavior to the neurological effects of concussions from his playing days.
Manziel spent more than 10 weeks in rehab during the offseason, and was punished by the Browns during the 2015 season for alcohol-related episodes of perceived irresponsibility. He missed the team’s Week 17 game in Cleveland the morning after reportedly being spotted clubbing in Las Vegas.
Kosar believes quarterbacks need to set a positive example for the team, and Manziel’s inability to do that threatens his career.
“That advice has always stuck with me, and I would love to tell Johnny that. He could use it,” Kosar said. “I’m not saying he doesn’t have a chance to change, but [flunking out of the NFL] is a possibility.”