Nov. 8, 2011
Robert Griffin III thought he was just showing up on Monday for his weekly media grind.
And yes, that came later. But first, the junior quarterback was presented a trophy for his selection to the 2011 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team that was announced in September.
Grant Teaff, the Executive Director of the American Football Coaches Association and the legendary former coach at Baylor, was on hand for the presentation along with Inez Russell from Friends for Life and Tommy Smith with Special Olympics.
"They're not selected on their athleticism," Teaff said. "They're selected on their community involvement; their giving back to the community; their helping others while they use their notoriety and their athleticism to make a difference in their communities. And we have a young man here who's done that since the very first time he stepped on this campus."
Teaff said Griffin III "had my heart" when he showed up at a funeral in Dallas for former Baylor football player Kyle Woods, who had survived 30 years as a paraplegic following a tragic preseason injury.
"I'm speaking (at the funeral), and down close to the front row was Robert Griffin and his mom and dad," Teaff said. "So when the funeral service was over, I went down and spoke to Robert and his mother and dad and told them how much I appreciated and what it meant to me personally to have him and his family come to Kyle Woods' funeral.
"And I asked him, `Did you know Kyle Woods personally?' And he said, `Oh, no sir, I just know he's very, very important to Baylor University and loved by Baylor. We wanted to be here to honor him and to honor Baylor.' So before he ever took a snap, before he ever ran a track meet, he had my heart, because he's a person that cares."
One of just 11 players selected to the Good Works Football Bowl Subdivision Team, RG3 has contributed countless hours in supporting community service organizations in the Waco area. As a volunteer with Friends for Life, he spends time with seniors and adults with disabilities who are part of the organization's daycare program. And with Special Olympics, he has served as a volunteer coach for athletes like P.J. Smith, who was also on hand for the presentation.
Additionally, Griffin III has spent time supporting the One Book, One Waco reading program for local elementary school children; and speaks regularly to middle school and high school students about the importance of a solid education and sportsmanship.
"Life's not about what you get, it's what you give," Griffin III said. "You want to leave your imprint on the world somewhere."
"This is a special occasion," Baylor head coach Art Briles said, "because we get a chance to honor (Griffin III) as a man and not as a football player. As a coach, one of the things I'm most proud of is seeing our guys give back, seeing them grow and develop as great human beings. It's really the thing that churns me and makes me keep having a fire burning inside of me every day."
As part of the Good Works Team, Griffin III will be invited to New Orleans to participate in a community project before the Allstate Sugar Bowl in January. RG3 and the rest of the Good Works Team will also be honored at halftime of the Sugar Bowl on ESPN.
The only Baylor player selected to the Good Works Team in the 20-year history of the award was quarterback Shawn Bell in 2005.
