As of Jan. 28, the highly publicized (and criticized) Johnny Manziel, quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, entered a rehabilitation treatment program. Since his years playing college football at Texas A&M, Manziel has been a focal point for sports media outlets nation-wide, earning him the catchy title of “Johnny Football.”
After being selected in the first round of the 2014 NFL draft, fame and fortune have stuck by Manziel’s side like a parasite and it’s host. Much like a parasite, it has seemingly drained the talent and common sense from the once promising superstar.
According to an article from ESPN writer Jeremy Fowler, the morning the Browns were packing up to head to Baltimore to face the rival Ravens, Manziel was not present for the team’s walk-through. Team sources say when team security went to Manziel’s residence to check on him, it was clear he had partied hard the night before. One source even mentioned the words “drunk off his ass.”
It was apparent come season’s end that Manziel needed help, which had led to his recent stay in rehab. This kind of behavior stemmed from his years playing in college, which also brings into question the amounts of stress and pressure college athletes are put through.
This brings up another pressing question: How do athletes here at California State University, Stanislaus handle the pressures of being a student athlete?
The average full-time student at CSU Stanislaus has roughly 4-5 classes (if not more) that accounts for several hours of classwork both inside and outside of the classroom. Throw in another minimum twenty hours for those students with part-time jobs and you have what many consider to be a recipe for stress.
Now, let’s consider the weekly workload of a student athlete. Along with the class time and homework, they have regularly scheduled practices both before and after class, weight room sessions, reviewing game film and game day (which sometimes includes extensive traveling).
“I try to take everything one step at a time,” said Shey Mataele (senior, Kinesiology) from the men’s basketball team. “I try to focus on school first and then basketball.”
A refreshing notion knowing that school still remains the overall priority for our student athletes at CSU Stanislaus, also puts the idea of a normal day of stress into perspective.