Browns QB Johnny Manziel releases statement apologizing to team and fans

Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel has apologized to the team and its fans and asked for privacy during his recovery from a substance-abuse problem.

Manziel released a statement through the Browns on Friday. He thanked doctors and staff at Caron, a Pennsylvania facility which specializes in the treatment of drugs and alcohol. Manziel was discharged last week following a stay of more than 2 months.

Manziel says he takes “full responsibility for my actions” and he intends to “work very hard to regain everyone’s trust and respect.”

Manziel, who earned his “Johnny Football” nickname while winning the Heisman Trophy as a freshman at Texas A&M, intends to attend Cleveland’s offseason practices next week.

Earlier this week, he attended a Texas Rangers game followed by a visit to see the Dallas Mavericks play. Manziel had a rough rookie season in 2014. He spent most of it as the team’s backup before making two starts.

Here is the statement Manziel released through the Browns:

“I would like to thank my family, friends, the Browns organization, my teammates, and Browns fans everywhere, for your patience, understanding, and support during my stay at Caron. The doctors and staff have been amazing and what I’ve learned in the last couple of months has been tremendous. I owe private apologies to a lot of people that I disappointed but a very public one to the Browns organization and the fans that I let down. I take full responsibility for my actions and it’s my intention to work very hard to regain everyone’s trust and respect. I understand that will take time and will only happen through what I do and not what I say. I also understand there’s a lot of curiosity about this but anyone who has a friend or family-member that’s been through things like this knows it’s an ongoing process. I’m going to continue to ask folks to try to respect my privacy as I determine to what degree I am comfortable talking about a subject which I consider very personal. Most of you have been considerate about that and I thank you for it. I look forward to seeing my teammates next week and focusing on football and my desire to be the best possible player, teammate, and man that I can be.”

This story was originally published April 17, 2015 at 9:50 AM with the headline "Browns QB Johnny Manziel releases statement apologizing to team and fans."