Flutie: Manziel must show 'he's serious about football again' to succeed in CFL

Johnny Manziel flamed out of the NFL due in large part to his greater focus on matters outside the game, a mistake fellow CFLer Doug Flutie says he can't make again if he's to revitalize his career north of the border

"He needs to be a leader on the team, show that he's serious about football again, and put his nose to the grindstone and go," Flutie told Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk.

Like Manziel, the Heisman-winning Flutie plied his trade in Canada after opportunities in the U.S. dried up. He played eight seasons in the CFL, ultimately earning a path back to the NFL with the Buffalo Bills in 1998.

Manziel's stop in the CFL is likely to be far shorter, but Flutie said the young pivot can't cut any corners.

"In Johnny's situation, very similar to me, there's a learning curve that goes on up there and you're competing against guys who are veterans in the league and know what they're doing," Flutie said. "You really have to learn that game and get efficient at it to win championships and be at that caliber."

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are aiming for Manziel to debut in an exhibition game against the Grey Cup-champion Toronto Argonauts on June 1.

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