Johnny Manziel signs with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats

It was Johnny Manziel’s first day on the field with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats for day one of training camp, but his start doesn’t come without baggage and controversy.

The 25 year old football player owned up to his past today at Ron Joyce Stadium.

“I can’t outrun my past. The only thing I can do is grow and be a better person for it and I have every intention of doing that” Manziel said.

He is talented, a Heisman trophy winner and 2014 first round pick of the Cleveland Browns, but his success in the NFL was short lived.

Following reckless partying, the Ticats newest acquisition has spoken publicly about abusing alcohol and has shared his struggles with bipolar disorder.

In 2016, he was charged with assault after accusations from a former girlfriend. The charges were dropped after Manziel attended an anger management course and a substance abuse program.

“Obviously, the magnitude of my mistakes in the past is something I’m definitely not proud of, but at the end of the day, I feel like I’ve come a long way from the person I was at that time. They’ve turned me into a better person, they’ve turned me into a man.” he says.

Coach June Jones would not comment specifically about Manziel’s assault charges.

Some of the fans who came to watch aren’t too concerned about Manziel’s personal life, saying that he deserves a second chance, and should be judged based on his performance on the field.

Manziel has recently married fitness model Bre Tiesi. On social media, he credits her for helping him turn his life around.

Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli says that the CFL is a league of second chances, and that he is not one to judge.