He is not far removed from darkness, but near enough to the bright lights that he realizes how much he misses them. During pregame warm-ups on Friday, Johnny Manziel took pictures of the bowl inside Commonwealth Stadium, the gold and green seats, the sky as silvery blue as if Tom Thomson painted it. He stretched on the artificial turf, savouring the feel and the dirt beneath him.

“There were a lot of days where I thought I would never play another football game,” the backup quarterback for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats says. “After all of the moments of outside doubt and self-doubt, it is humbling to be back in this situation again.

“I want to take time to appreciate it.”

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He is already the most intriguing player in the Canadian Football League, and Manziel has yet to play a down. It is only a month since his career was re-launched north of the border, and he is still learning the nuances of the game: the longer and wider fields, the madcap motion before centre snaps, the extra man on defence, the single point awarded when a kick is not returned from the end zone.

All eyes in the sport are on Johnny Football, even if he is on the sideline. He has the pedigree to command that, a Heisman Trophy won at Texas A&M in his freshman year – and a past that brought him to the league of lost boys and second chances.

He was arrested on misdemeanour charges before he played his first college game and entered treatment for substance abuse after one year in the NFL. He was drafted in the first round by Cleveland in 2014 after forgoing his final two seasons of NCAA eligibility and didn’t play so poorly for the Browns as he did behave badly. He was demoted from starter to third string near the end of 2015 due to excessive partying and was released by the team a few months later, after Dallas police announced they were investigating a domestic assault complaint against him.

The charge was dismissed last year after he met certain conditions, including seeking help for anger management and another round of rehab. By then, he had been fired by two agents and dumped by sponsor Nike. There was not much interest expressed in the fallen star whose girlfriend claimed she had been dragged by the hair and struck so hard that her eardrum was punctured.

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats stepped in to the void last month and he signed a two-year contract for about $250,000 a season, bonuses included. That is a lot more than the average player makes in the CFL, but a far cry from the U.S.$2.75-million he earned in each of two years in the NFL.

“It is a long way from where I was at, but just to be part of a team again is exciting for me,” Manziel says. “I am thankful for a second opportunity.”



He shakes hands firmly and calls everyone “brother.” He is considerate and patient during interviews and looks directly into the eyes of his inquisitors. He wants to be believed as much as people want to believe him. Everyone loves a comeback story.

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He had just turned 20 in 2012 when he won the Heisman, and every other meaningful award given to a college quarterback. He was the first freshman and only the fifth player in NCAA history to rush for 1,000 yards and pass for more than 3,000, and just the fourth to ever throw for more than 20 touchdowns and run for 20 more in a single season. He had that charisma and swagger familiar to elite athletes, but he also had a mental illness – bipolar disorder – that was exacerbated by addiction.

He has done everything right since he joined the Tiger-Cats, and it is being noticed. Sports Illustrated sent a correspondent to the Ticats’ training camp and ESPN picked up the broadcast rights to Hamilton’s two preseason games. The press box at Tim Hortons Field was packed for his first exhibition contest, with the New York Jets and Houston Texans among those reserving seats. There was as much media attention as there is for a Grey Cup game.

“He is a lightning rod for coverage,” says Lucas Barrrett, the manager of communications for the CFL. “He definitely moves the needle for us.”



Manziel played well enough in preseason to earn a roster spot, completing 21 of 31 passes for 168 yards and one touchdown. He has yet to see action in the regular season and may not as long as Jeremiah Masoli continues to play as well as he has. Hamilton’s starter threw for 332 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 59 yards on Friday night, outplaying Mike Reilly, the league’s best quarterback, in a 38-21 victory over Edmonton.

“I’m working every day to put myself in a position to play, but I have on obligation to the team to be the No. 2 quarterback,” Manziel says afterward. "I told Jeremiah before the first game that I want to do nothing but help him out and act as a second pair of eyes from the sidelines if that is the best way I can help us win games.”

June Jones, the former Atlanta Falcons coach who is now filling the same role in Hamilton, has seen enough to believe Manziel can play again in the NFL.

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“Every day in practice, he does something he didn’t do last week,” Jones says. “The big thing for him is the terminology and learning the game up here and that takes time.

“I think he has a great future in this league.”

More than half of the 60,000 seats at Commonwealth Stadium were full on Friday, some taken up by Manziel fans. Before kickoff, Stephan Glowa made his way beneath the stands wearing a Manziel Tiger-Cats jersey. The Edmonton resident already owns two – the other Manziel signed for him on Thursday.

“I love Johnny Manziel,” Glowa says. “I’ve seen him play in Cleveland and went to Texas to see him play in college. He was the most exciting college quarterback ever, and I think he is going to be a big hit in the CFL.”



That remains undecided, but Manziel has been welcomed with open arms.

“He is a great dude,” says Derel Walker, a wide receiver for Edmonton. He was one of Manziel’s teammates at Texas A&M. “When I saw that he signed with Hamilton, a warm feeling came to my heart. I am just ready to see how his life unfolds from this moment.

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“It is crazy how life works.”

Sitting at his dressing stall late Saturday, Manziel reflects upon his life and expresses joy in where he is.

“This is the first win by a team I have been on since 2015,” he says. “Everything is a new experience for me. I’ve got a smile on my face and I am looking forward to what might happen.”

If he could do it all over again, Johnny Football would. He is, actually.