They build you up to break you down, that’s a lesson Robert Griffin III is learning now. After winning the Heisman trophy, becoming the second overall pick in the draft and taking the Washington Redskins to the playoffs, RG3 suffered a torn ACL and things changed. Whether it’s because of the injury or defenses just learned how to stop him, Griffin’s performance level has dropped substantially. The Redskins currently have a 3-6 record sitting at the bottom of the NFC East, drawing harsh criticism that Griffin says he has “tough skin” to handle.
“Our fan base is great. They demand success. They got a taste of it last year and they’re going to want more of that and we’ve got to provide it and we will. I think we will. So I think that those are some of the factors that go into it. It’s not a small town. It’s not a small-city team that doesn’t have a big media room like this. It’s part of it and I understand that. Even coming from a small town in high school and a medium-sized town in Waco in Texas, you come, you step up to another level, you’re in the big city, bright lights and you’ve got to perform, and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Griffin said that he can handle whatever scrutiny he receives, however.
“I’ve got tough skin,” he said. “My parents brought me up the right way — military background, discipline and all that stuff — and I’m happy to call them my parents and they’ve done a great job there for me. I have all that inside of me and that’s all it takes. You’ve got to have it inside of you to make it in this world and that’s what I have got to do.”
