Coaches think they can look into Manziel’s head. The NFL Personality Method can. Johnny needs to care about football and his team but his is the sin of indifference and there’s only a little chance that’ll ever change. If he changes it would be because he decided too. In other words – nobody can change his mind or reason with him. It’s a decision he must make.
Manziel’s “Temperament Family” has many good qualities. They are problem solvers and typically don’t take stress too seriously – they are playful. He has the personality tools to become a Super Bowl winning QB but he lacks the morality to use them in service for others. One of his major traits is the trait of indifference. In a healthy manner indifference can keep someone from feeling pressure during a stressful situation. Taken to a negative extreme, it becomes unbridled selfishness and then that person only cares about himself. Thus far this is what we’ve seen from Johnny Football. Johnny is probably tons of fun to hang out with but as it relates to winning a Super Bowl, we have concerns. So far he’s given us the money sign at the draft. Drunkenness and multiple careless off-the-field issues. Although there are some indications this is changing…by and large he hasn’t cared enough about his team, his town, his game, his coaches to be successful. Football is a team sport and the QB must care enough to put in the work, focus and time on and off the field to be successful. Sheer athletic ability alone can win college football games but not in the pros. Johnny needs to grow up, the coaches cannot make him choose maturity. The coaches think putting better football players around him will fix him. It won’t help. What he really needs is maturity. Where will it come from? The external pressure from fans, friends and family or a religious revival – either source could work but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
Inside Manziel’s head is a battle between selfish indifference and competitiveness. Luckily he is very competitive and that personality trait is how coaches could ‘force his maturity.’ Don’t easily reward him, give him a small reward but then take that reward away (the expression “dangle the carrot” is appropriate). If he throws 2 or more INTs in a game make him hold a jock strap for a day (as in “he got his jock strap handed to him”). There are few personalities you should humiliate around teammates but this is one. You must force that competitive side of his personality to overcome his selfish and indifferent side. Another idea is have a practice squad QB wear his jersey and take his practice snaps. Tell Manziel he can have his jersey and QB position back when he’s ready to dedicate himself on and off the field. This could force a serious dialogue between him and the coaches. Test him. Push him. Don’t let him get away with anything. Reward him when you get the right results. He will play mental games and if lying serves him, he will lie and then deny lying.
The other big concern are his off the field issues – those alone could sink his NFL career. Make part of his disciple/training to read a chapter of Proverbs each morning. The wisdom in Proverbs could help him mature, if he’s open to it. In the end this indifferent free spirited guy will make his own decisions and hopefully he’ll mature before he ‘Plaxicos’ himself.
In summary the best course of action would be for a team to altogether skip a temperament like his and wait for the ideal.
Note: He personality is a 9MOY-Wa and these struggles are common to them all.