Joel Bitonio held his retirement press conference on Tuesday morning and it was a bittersweet moment. One comment that came up was his experience of being roommates with Johnny Manziel.
Tuesday was a bittersweet day in Berea as longtime Cleveland Browns LG Joel Bitonio held his retirement
press conference.
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The decision Bitonio made to retire wasn't a surprise to anyone. Cleveland added three interior players in free agency, knowing Bitonio would step away from football after 12 seasons in Cleveland.
It wasn't all sunshine and roses for Bitonio's career in Cleveland, but he bought in more than any other player has in recent memory. The Browns' longest tenured player of the recent 2025 team will now move forward with what he wants to do next professionally - not that he needs to do a whole lot with over $107 million made in his career.
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Bitonio was a member of the Browns' 2014 NFL Draft class, which notably included former Texas A&M standout Johnny Manziel as a first-round pick. Bitonio shouted out a group of his former teammates on Tuesday, including his former roommate Manziel.
"I sat next to John Greco in meetings. He taught me how to be a pro, take notes the right way, and play guard," Bitinio stated. "I was drafted the same year as Johnny Manziel, and we actually roomed together. I learned some things not to do from him, I got the opportunity to play with and learn from so many guys."
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I learned how to be ego-less from Nick Chubb. I learned to always smile like Christian Kirksey. I learned to Chief Slam from David Njoku. I learned how to be fiery and competitive from Baker [Mayfield]. I learned selfishness from all my offensive linemen brethren, there are truly too many to name, and the O line is just such a special, special group."
Bitonio and Manziel had two very different careers despite one being a second-round pick and the other being a first. Bitonio was able to become a seven-time Pro Bowler with two All-Pro nods to his name. The longtime Browns' starting left guard started 178 games over 12 seasons, and missed just two games since 2016.
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Manziel on the other hand was one of Cleveland's worst first-round picks in franchise history. The former Heisman Trophy winner played in 14 games over two seasons with the Browns and never played in the NFL again after the 2015 season.
Bitinio's career brought him plenty of ups and downs, but he continued to be a standout player through it all, and that's what his playing days should be remembered for.
The playful dig he took at Manziel while chucking was nothing serious, but it showed the funny personality he had as an offensive lineman.
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This article was originally published on A to Z Sports. Read the full story here: Joel Bitonio takes hilarious dig at former Cleveland Browns QB Johnny Manziel during his retirement press conference
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