Robert Griffin III unites DC with rookie season heroics

Andrew Luck may have been the top selection of the 2012 NFL Draft, but it’s the number-two guy, Robert Griffin III, that has seemingly captured most of the season’s major headlines.

Griffin started his NFL career with an NFC Offensive Player of the Week performance. He threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns in a 40-32 win against New Orleans and never looked back. In Washington’s 31-6 victory against Philadelphia, Griffin became the first NFL rookie to pass for 200 yards, four touchdowns and rush for 75 yards in a single game. He also became the youngest player to achieve a perfect passer rating in a game.

Griffin’s success ignited excitement in the nation’s capital. He was hailed by Senator Marco Rubio as the “the best leader in DC.” Washington Post religion editor Sally Quinn lauded Griffin for his inspirational attributes. But ESPN commentator Rob Parker drew ire after referring to him as a “cornball brother.”

In the midst of the high praises and unexpected criticism, Griffin has relied on his parents’ faithful church upbringing and his personal relationship with Christ to help him manage it all.

“[God] gives you the stage to make a difference and not to just talk about yourself, but lift Him up,” Griffin once said. “I praise God, I thank him for everything. Purposefully, you live every day for Him, and when He gives you the opportunity to speak up for Him or to do something in His name, you do it.”