Once a prized prodigy, a first-round pick, and a Heisman winner, Johnny Manziel’s career took a turn because of his off-field antics to some extent. But Johnny-ball, that once ruled college football, still triggers strong nostalgia, and many still prize Manziel’s presence and opinions. Banking on that persona, one of Texas’s prominent bookstores scheduled an event with Manziel, but the former Texas A&M QB had other plans.

“We are extremely sorry to announce that Johnny Manziel did not make it on his flight as scheduled for today’s appearance,” Heroes & Fantasies bookstore posted on their IG page. “We do not know the reason this happened, and there are no words to express how upset we are that this has happened. Our deepest apologies to everyone.”

The San Antonio-based bookstore, which calls itself the “largest collectible shop in the state,” had the event scheduled from 1 to 2:30 p.m on Sunday. Before Manziel, many other sports celebrities have made it to the bookstore for appearances, including Spurs star Victor Wembanyama in 2024. However, this is not the first time he’s missed an event.

The former Browns quarterback was scheduled to be a guest on College GameDay for the Texas A&M vs Miami playoff game. The stage was clearly far bigger than the bookstore event, and this was his alma mater, making the best out of their hard-earned playoff berth. He drew a lot of backlash for not attending the show, but later explained that he was down with norovirus.

This came after fans had allegedly spotted him in the Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua fight, which took place in South Florida. It would not have been physically possible for him to make it to College Station in time, where GameDay was set to air from 9 a.m. ET. Fans took it as Johnny Manziel ditching the Aggies, just to have a fun night elsewhere. And not even a year later, he misses this event in San Antonio. Naturally, this invited yet another round of trolling.

People react harshly to Johnny Manziel’s absence

“Johnny Manziel doing Johnny Manziel things,” commented a user on the Heroes & Fantasies’ post. The former quarterback is remembered today as a Heisman winner, but he is also equally famous for his troubling public image. A Browns source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Manziel had reportedly arrived at a team meeting “drunk.” The team refuted those claims later by saying he had concussion symptoms, but Manziel’s association with alcohol was well-known.

Another user commended the bookstore for organizing the event anyway. “I attended the signing on the 50/50 chance he’d show up, and I’m in full support of @heroesandfantasies on this. No blame to them, and they handled it well in the moment. Thanks for all you guys do for the community.”

“Why do people keep putting on events for him when he’s KNOWN for this??” wrote a user, hinting at Manziel missing the College GameDay telecast. “Always something with that guy,” wrote another.

“Who’s surprised, probably got drunk on the way to the airport! As if his autograph is gonna be worth anything,” a disappointed user commented. It’s truly disheartening to think of the way Manziel’s career ended, especially because he entered the league with so much potential. Now, it’s tough to find a die-hard Manziel fan.

Right now, Manziel occasionally appears on the NightCap podcast with Shannon Sharpe, analysing games, giving recruiting opinions, and pushing football banter. Maybe that’s where he might finally issue a clarification on his bookstore no-show.