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Robert Griffin III facts for kids

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Robert Griffin III
refer to caption
Griffin III in 2022
No. 10, 3
Position: Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1990-02-12) February 12, 1990 (age 35)
Okinawa, Japan
Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight: 213 lb (97 kg)
Career information
High school: Copperas Cove (Copperas Cove, Texas, U.S.)
College: Baylor (2008–2011)
NFL Draft: 2012 / Round: 1 / Pick: 2
Career history
Career highlights and awards
  • NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2012)
  • Pro Bowl (2012)
  • PFWA All-Rookie Team (2012)
  • Heisman Trophy (2011)
  • Davey O'Brien Award (2011)
  • Manning Award (2011)
  • AP College Football Player of the Year (2011)
  • SN Player of the Year (2011)
  • Chic Harley Award (2011)
  • Consensus All-American (2011)
  • Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year (2011)
  • Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year (2008)
  • First-team All-Big 12 (2011)
  • Second-team All-Big 12 (2010)
Career NFL statistics
Passing attempts: 1,268
Passing completions: 799
Completion percentage: 63%
TDINT: 43–30
Passing yards: 9,271
Passer rating: 86.5
Rushing yards: 1,809
Rushing touchdowns: 10
Player stats at PFR

Robert Lee Griffin III (born February 12, 1990), also known by his nickname RGIII or RG3, is a former American football quarterback. He played for eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL), mostly for the Washington Redskins. He played college football for the Baylor Bears, where he won the famous Heisman Trophy as a senior. He was the second player chosen in the 2012 NFL draft.

Griffin had an amazing first year in the NFL. He set records for the best passer rating and touchdown-to-interception ratio for a rookie. He led the Redskins to their first division title in 13 years. For his great performance, he was named Offensive Rookie of the Year and was selected for the Pro Bowl.

Sadly, a serious knee injury in the playoffs changed his career. He struggled to play at the same high level again. After leaving Washington, he played for the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens before becoming a sports analyst.

Early Life and High School

Robert Griffin III was born in Okinawa, Japan. His parents, Robert Jr. and Jacqueline, were both sergeants in the U.S. Army and were stationed there. His family moved several times, living in Washington state and Louisiana before settling in Copperas Cove, Texas.

At Copperas Cove High School, Griffin was a star athlete in three sports: football, basketball, and track. As the starting quarterback, he led his football team to the state championship game. He was known for being a dual-threat quarterback, meaning he was great at both passing and running the ball.

Amazing Track Skills

Griffin was also an incredible track athlete. He set Texas state high school records in the 110-meter and 300-meter hurdles. His time in the 300-meter hurdles was just one-hundredth of a second away from the national high school record. He was even named the Gatorade Texas Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year.

Personal bests
Event Time (seconds) Venue Date
110-meter hurdles 13.46 Knoxville, Tennessee August 2, 2007
300-meter hurdles 35.33 Austin, Texas May 11, 2007
400-meter hurdles 49.22 Boulder, Colorado May 18, 2008

Choosing a College

Many top colleges wanted Griffin to play for them, including Stanford, Tennessee, and Oregon. He first decided to go to the University of Houston. But when the coach, Art Briles, moved to Baylor University, Griffin followed him. He chose Baylor because it had great programs for both football and track.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40 Commit date
Robert Griffin
QB
Copperas Cove, Texas Copperas Cove HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 4.4 Dec 3, 2007 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 77
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 12 (QB)   Rivals: 4 (Dual-threat QB)  ESPN: 40 (QB)
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

College Career at Baylor

Griffin was a very smart student. He graduated from high school early and started at Baylor University when he was only 17. He also joined Baylor's track team and won the Big 12 Conference championship in the 400-meter hurdles. He graduated in just three years with a degree in political science and a high GPA.

Freshman and Sophomore Years

Robert Griffin III - Baylor quarterback
Griffin III in 2009

As a freshman, Griffin was named the Big 12 Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year. He showed everyone how talented he was right away.

His second year was cut short by a serious knee injury (a torn ACL) in the third game. Because he was injured so early in the season, he was given a redshirt year. This meant he didn't lose a year of eligibility to play. He returned in 2010 as a sophomore and had a great season, throwing for over 3,500 yards.

Heisman-Winning Season (2011)

In 2011, no one expected the Baylor Bears to be a top team. But Griffin led them to an amazing season. In the first game, he helped Baylor upset the 15th-ranked TCU team in a thrilling 50-48 victory. After that game, people started talking about him as a candidate for the Heisman Trophy, the award for the best player in college football.

He continued to play brilliantly all season. He led Baylor to a 10-3 record and a victory in the Alamo Bowl. At the end of the season, he won the Heisman Trophy, becoming the first player from Baylor ever to win the award. He finished the year with incredible stats, including 4,293 passing yards and 37 touchdowns.

On January 11, 2012, Griffin announced he would enter the 2012 NFL draft.

College Statistics

Season Team GP Passing Rushing
Cmp Att Pct Yds TD Int Rtg Att Yds Avg TD
2008 Baylor 12 160 267 59.9 2,091 15 3 142.0 173 843 4.9 13
2009 Baylor 3 45 69 65.2 481 4 0 142.9 27 77 2.9 2
2010 Baylor 13 304 454 67.0 3,501 22 8 144.2 149 635 4.3 8
2011 Baylor 13 291 402 72.4 4,293 37 6 189.5 179 699 3.9 10
Total 41 800 1,192 67.1 10,366 78 17 158.9 528 2,254 4.3 33

Professional Career

Getting Drafted into the NFL

RGIII with Marines at NFL Draft 2012
Griffin (center) posing with two Marines at the 2012 NFL draft.

After his amazing college career, everyone knew Griffin would be one of the first players picked in the 2012 NFL draft. The Washington Redskins wanted him so badly that they made a huge trade with the St. Louis Rams. The Redskins gave the Rams three first-round draft picks and one second-round pick to get the #2 overall pick, which they used to select Griffin.

Washington Redskins (2012-2015)

An Unforgettable Rookie Year

Robert Griffin III
Griffin during Redskins training camp in 2012

Griffin's first season in the NFL was spectacular. In his very first game, he threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns, leading the Redskins to a win over the New Orleans Saints. He became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to be named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his debut game.

He continued to play at a high level all season, using both his powerful arm and his incredible speed. He led the Redskins on a seven-game winning streak to end the season, winning the NFC East division and making the playoffs for the first time since 2007. He was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The Injury that Changed Everything

RG3 eagles
Griffin on a read-option run during a game against the Eagles in 2013

In a playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks, Griffin badly injured his right knee. He had surgery to repair two ligaments, the LCL and the ACL. After the injury, he was never quite the same player.

He returned the next season but struggled to match his rookie success. Over the next two years, he dealt with more injuries and eventually lost his starting job to Kirk Cousins. The Redskins released Griffin in 2016.

Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens

Robert Griffin III 2016 preseason vs. Falcons
Griffin with the Browns in 2016

Griffin signed with the Cleveland Browns in 2016, but he was injured in the first game of the season and missed most of the year. After being released by the Browns, he took a year off from football.

In 2018, he signed with the Baltimore Ravens to be a backup quarterback. He played behind Joe Flacco and future MVP Lamar Jackson. He spent three seasons with the Ravens, starting two games when the main quarterback was resting or injured. The Ravens released him after the 2020 season.

Life After Playing Football

In 2021, Griffin began a new career as a TV analyst for ESPN, where he commentates on college football games. He later joined Fox Sports in 2025 for their college football coverage. He also started his own podcast on YouTube called "RG3 and The Ones."

Even though he works in media, Griffin has said he would be ready to return to playing in the NFL if a team called him.

Personal Life

Griffin is a Christian and has said his faith is very important to him. He has a charitable organization called the RGIII Foundation. The foundation helps children in need, military families, and victims of domestic violence.

He married his wife, Grete Šadeiko, a track and field athlete from Estonia, in 2018. They have three daughters together. Griffin also has a daughter from a previous marriage.

Images for kids

See also

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