Untold: Johnny Football: What To Know Before You Watch Netflix's Johnny Manziel Football Doc

Johnny Manziel in Untold: Johnny Football
(Image credit: Netflix)

An athlete whose story was tailor-made for the sports documentary treatment, Johnny Manziel, affectionately known as “Johnny Football,” was one of the most successful yet polazing college football stars in early 2010s. With multiple triumphs on the gridiron (which earned him the Heisman Trophy) and a series of headlines regarding his exploits off the field, it was only a matter of time before Manziel’s story found its way to the streaming world.

Now that it has happened, there are undoubtedly a lot of people who want to check out Untold: Johnny Football, the new Netflix arrival about the athlete some loved and others loved to hate. But before you watch the riveting sports doc, there are a few things you should know about Johnny Football.

Untold: Johnny Football Explores The Rise And Fall Of Johnny Manziel

Unlike the multi-part Untold:The Girlfriend Who Didn't Exist, which primiarly focused on the drama surronding former Notre Dame star linebacker Manti Te'o being catfished, Johnny Football turns its attention to Johnny Manziel's early life and career. From his days as a standout high school quarterback to his time as a Heisman Trophy recipient at Texas A&M to becoming a first-round draft pick who spent only two years in the NFL before his off-the-field antics put an end to his once promising career, the documentary leaves few stones unturned.

Friends, Family, Coaches, And Johnny Football Himself Piece Together The Story

Untold: Johnny Football is largely told through the eyes of Manziel himself, but his story is also examined through the perspectives of those who know him best. His parents, sister, friends, former teammates, and college coaching staff all fill in the pisces of this incredible puzzle.

The Agony, Ecstasy, And Drama Of Sports

As mentioned above, the latest episode of Untold is a sports documentary through-and-through, and with that comes the agony, ecstasy, and drama of the game of football. Sure, Johnny Football spends a considerable amount of time going into Manziel’s off-field exploits and troubles with the law, but the main draw is the sports aspect and how playing football at the level and tenacity at which Manziel played affects someone even after the final whistle.

Untold: Johnny Football Is 72 Minutes Long

Just like Johnny Manziel’s style of play, Untold: Johnny Football doesn’t waste any time getting the ball rolling, and has a remarkably short runtime of 72 minutes – that’s shorter than the Heisman winner’s biggest NCAA games. But don’t let the length fool you, as the documentary is full of incredible insights into its subject’s life and career.

The Documentary Is Rated TV-MA For Language, Substance Abuse, And Other Mature Topics

It should be noted that Untold: Johnny Football is rated TV-MA, and probably shouldn’t be watched by younger audiences. The documentary features a great deal of foul language (mostly from Manziel himself), shows and talks about Manziel and friends drinking heavily and doing drugs, and touches on other mature topics. You won’t find it on the list of family-friendly Netflix movies, but it’s still something that you should watch, as long as you aren’t offended by choice language and difficult situations. 

Untold: Johnny Football is currently streaming for anyone with a Netflix subscription. If you want to know what feature films and documentaries are coming to the streamer in the coming months, check out our 2023 Netflix movie schedule.

Stream Untold: Johnny Football on Netflix.

Philip Sledge
Content Writer

Philip grew up in Louisiana (not New Orleans) before moving to St. Louis after graduating from Louisiana State University-Shreveport. When he's not writing about movies or television, Philip can be found being chased by his three kids, telling his dogs to stop barking at the mailman, or chatting about professional wrestling to his wife. Writing gigs with school newspapers, multiple daily newspapers, and other varied job experiences led him to this point where he actually gets to write about movies, shows, wrestling, and documentaries (which is a huge win in his eyes). If the stars properly align, he will talk about For Love Of The Game being the best baseball movie of all time.