Johnny Manziel was the face of football during his Texas A&M career, but he's been largely off the grid since his time with the Browns came to an end in 2016. Now, the latest edition of Netflix's "Untold" series is revealing the truth about what led to the Heisman Trophy winner's downfall.
The series also dives into Manziel's background, including his family's Texas roots. It's easy to forget Manziel lit up the high school circuit in Texas before he played a down for the Aggies, and his high school days give fans some clues as to what went wrong later in his career.
As one would expect, not everything was as it seemed with Manziel. The documentary includes revelations about the Manziel family's supposed "oil money" and takes a closer look at the checkered backgrounds of Manziel's father, grandfather, and great grandfather.
MORE: Johnny Manziel's timeline of trouble
Here's what you need to know about Manziel's past, including the origin of the oil money story.
Where is Johnny Manziel from?
Manziel is from Tyler, Texas, but his family moved to Kerrville, Texas, about 65 miles northwest of San Antonio, before he started high school. Manziel attended Tivy High School, where he emerged as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the state.
Despite playing in such a football-obsessed state, Manziel was only the fourth player from Tivy High School to reach the NFL.
Who was Bobby Joe Manziel?
Bobby Joe Manziel was Johnny's great grandfather, and his career in the oil business brings some truth to the claim that the Manziel family comes from oil money.
Bobby Joe discovered oil in Texas in 1930. Thanks to a connection with famous boxer Jack Dempsey, he was able to generate the money to drill, starting with a well located at a church.
Manziel drilled "dozens" of wells, according to Deadspin. While many were dry, some weren't, and the ones that weren't turned out to be a major source of income and made him a prominent figure.
The oilman found himself in legal trouble as he fought oil regulations, and his wells were also marred by a handful of explosions. Still, he made his share of money.
Bobby Joe's lasting legacy, aside from his family, is The Oil Palace, a music venue in Tyler. He originally envisioned the venue as a 20,000-seat auditorium, but the project wasn't completed until 1983 -- 27 years after his death -- and seats just under 7,000.
MORE: Full list of Netflix 'Untold' episodes
Johnny Manziel family tree
The Manziel family originated in Syria, where Johnny's great-great-grandfather Joe Manziel emigrated from in 1907.
Norman Paul Manziel, grandfather
Norman Paul, Johnny's grandfather, didn't get into the oil business like his father, but he did find himself in legal trouble for several years. As a 16-year-old, he was involved in a street race that left a person dead.
Later on in his life, Norman Paul was charged with felony evasion after a DWI stop, though the charge was later pleaded down to a misdemeanor. He spent time in prison after being charged with bribing his way out of community service, which took away his probation.
Bobby Joe Jr., great uncle
Bobby Joe Jr., Norman Paul's brother and Johnny's great uncle, found himself as the center of even more legal issues. Among his arrests, Bobby Joe was charged with conspiracy in connection with a 1975 murder, though the charges were ultimately dropped. In 2002, he was convicted on charges of cocaine trafficking.
Bobby Joe Jr. still ran The Oil Palace as of 2013, but he died in late 2022.
Paul Manziel, father
Paul has kept himself out of trouble aside from one arrest for criminal mischief. According to The Dallas Morning News, Paul and his wife were bartenders when Johnny was born, and he later built homes in addition to selling cars.
Paul has been blunt about his son's struggles off the field. He was adamant in 2012 that he would get Johnny on the right track after his preseason arrest, and when Johnny continued to spiral, Paul made it clear he understood the seriousness of the situation.
"Hopefully he doesn’t die before he comes to his senses," Paul told ESPN's Josina Anderson in 2016, calling Johnny a "druggie" and explaining why he believed jail would be the best place for him at the time.
Paul appears in Netflix's "Untold" and describes himself and Johnny as being extremely similar.
MORE: Inside Johnny Manziel's life turnaround, new bar
How did the Manziel family make their money?
Bobby Joe certainly made his share of money as an oilman, though as Deadspin points out, he also spent plenty of money along the way. It doesn't appear the oil money trickled down quite as much as Manziel made it seem a decade ago.
Deadspin reported in 2013 that Paul Manziel, Johnny's father, worked as the general manager of a Honda dealership three hours away from where the family lived, only returning home on weekends. The outlet points out that Paul's work habits don't "possess the air of a man living idly off a family fortune."
According to Deadspin, records showed "the cash doesn't appear to reach Johnny Football's branch of the family." While the outlet acknowledged that doesn't mean Manziel's father didn't inherit any money, the reality is Manziel and his immediate family never appeared to be surviving off as much oil money as they claimed they were.
The idea that the Manziel family was sitting on inherited oil money wasn't invented out of thin air, as the family clearly did have a direct line to oil work through Bobby Joe, but it was largely a myth created to direct attention away from Manziel's decision to sell autographs while at Texas A&M.
As "Untold" points out, why would Manziel need to sell autographs in exchange for money if he was wealthy? That was the logic Manziel and his friend, Nate Fitch, decided on when they concocted the story.
After his Heisman Trophy season, "Manziel's parents' garage was stuffed with memorabilia awaiting his signature," Sports Illustrated reported in 2013. Manziel would only be suspended for a half-game in 2013, with Fitch shouldering most of the blame. New NCAA rules would make Manziel's autograph sales completely legal if they took place today.
BENDER: Reviewing Netflix's 'Untold: Johnny Football'
Johnny Manziel net worth
Celebrity Net Worth estimates Manziel's net worth as $6 million.
It's difficult to gauge Manziel's net worth, considering he earned a reputation as a quick spender thanks to his lifestyle, and he hasn't made NFL money in several years. Still, Manziel has plenty of influence and has posted promotions on social media that surely earn him some money.
According to Spotrac, Manziel made $7.7 in career earnings from the Browns.
Johnny Manziel high school stats
| Year | Games | Completion rate | Yards | TD | INT | Rush yards | Rush TD |
| 2008 | 14 | 61.7% | 1,109 | 11 | 5 | 835 | 15 |
| 2009 | 14 | 60.5% | 2,182 | 19 | 5 | 1,529 | 33 |
| 2010 | 12 | 65.6% | 3,559 | 44 | 5 | 1,695 | 30 |
| Total | 40 | 63.5% | 7,626 | 76 | 11 | 4,045 | 78 |
Manziel exploded as a passer in his senior season at Tivy, tossing 44 touchdowns and just five interceptions in addition to 1,695 yards and 30 touchdowns on the ground.
Manziel accounted for more rushing touchdowns than passing touchdowns in high school, which made programs salivate over his dual-threat ability.
