11 Jan Johnny Football is back: Johnny Manziel signs with Fan Controlled Football
Former Heisman Trophy Winner and NFL First-Round Pick to Make Return to Football on February 13
Fan Controlled Football (FCF), the only professional sports league that empowers fans to call the plays in real-time, announced on December 30, 2020 that Johnny Manziel, former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL first-round pick, has signed a deal with the FCF to play in their inaugural season.
Manziel will join the FCF and will make his debut on the opening night of the season on February 13. The quarterback rose to fame in 2012 at Texas A&M, becoming the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy and creating countless highlights with his free-flowing style of play and brash personality. In 2014, Manziel was the 22nd overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns and last played in 2019 with the Memphis Express of the Alliance of American Football (AAF).
“We’re excited for Johnny to join the FCF and finally have a chance to be himself both on and off the field,” said Sohrob Farudi, Co-Founder and CEO of Fan Controlled Football. “He’s embracing the opportunity to engage with fans in a way no other league has provided him in the past. A mic’d up, unfiltered Johnny Football with a live stream helmet cam and fans calling the plays is going to be epic.”
“Football has always been a huge part of my life, and the opportunity to join the FCF was too good to pass up,” said Johnny Manziel. “FCF is doing something new and original in sports, a league that is truly all about the fans and letting them call all the shots. I can’t wait to get started – this is going to be fun.”
The FCF, which combines the passion and competitiveness of live and fantasy sports with the interactivity of video games, is the first league in professional sports history where fans will get to call all the shots, from branding and personnel decisions to real-time play calling. The league will feature four teams led by the biggest names in sports and entertainment including:
- Beasts: Super Bowl champion Marshawn Lynch, and pro-wrestling superstar Miro.
- Glacier Boyz: Hip-hop mogul Quavo, Super Bowl champion Richard Sherman, and YouTube sensation Deestroying.
- Wild Aces: Greg Miller of Kinda Funny, Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler.
- Zappers: New York Mets pitcher Trevor May, and sportscaster Bob Menery.
Built for the digital audience, FCF’s live games will be held at the league’s state-of-the-art facility in Atlanta. Each game will be 60 minutes in length and live streamed on Twitch. FCF teams will be stacked with professional players from the CFL, XFL, and IFL, along with NCAA Division I and II programs playing a fast-paced, high-scoring 7-vs-7 style of football on a 50-yard x 35-yard field with 10-yard end zones.
More details on the FCF will be available in the coming weeks. For more information and to sign up to call the shots, check out www.FCF.io and join the conversation on Twitter and Instagram, with #FCF, #PowerToTheFans.
