It’s been a few months since ESPN let Robert Griffin III go. The host of Outta Pocket with RG3 isn’t hung up on that, choosing to see the brighter side of being laid off. The former Heisman Trophy winner could choose to be bitter about the situation, especially with the unfortunate timing of the ordeal.
Still, Griffin didn’t even ask why he was being laid off.
It merely didn’t matter to him. Of course, the situation did, as he now has much more free time during college football and NFL seasons. He didn’t care to hear the reasoning. And it’s not because of any bad blood or anything like that. In fact, he recently told host Brandon Contes on the Awful Announcing Podcast that he’d be open to a reunion down the road.
But before he got to that part, he offered a summation of what’s transpired since departing the Worldwide Leader — and his outlook might be brighter than you’d think.
“When I look at this holistically, the best part about it is you gotta make chicken salad out of chicken sh*t,” he said. “I don’t think anybody anticipated this; I certainly didn’t anticipate it. I gave everything I had to ESPN from the standpoint of calling games to the best of my abilities, being a great teammate, having a lot of fun with the crews, helping revive Monday Night Countdown and get the younger demographic involved. I have no regrets of anything that I was able to accomplish there and the people I was able to work with. I miss the people, for sure, behind the scenes, the ones that don’t get any credit for what happens in front of the camera.
“But, my best takeaway is, man, I just get to be so much more of a better dad. And I got four daughters, so that was something I’ve always focused on. I want my family to be with me wherever I am, wherever I’m going. My first year at ESPN, my family traveled with me every week. All I did was call games for college football. I called 18 games with Mark Jones, Quint Kessenich, our producer, Kim Belton, and our director, Anthony DeMarco. And those guys became family; they started calling my kids’ the mascots’ because they were everywhere. Every game, they were there with us and they kept us alive.
“It’s not just the mundane pushing on the talkback, pushing on the cough button when you got to cough, and calling the game. It’s experiencing the college football landscape, the traditions, the fans, the players, telling the stories, with that backdrop of knowing that your kids are the reason you’re doing it anyway. And if I’m gonna tell another young man or woman’s story on-air at ESPN, I want to handle that story with the same care that I would if I was telling my kids’ story.
“I think that part of it has been phenomenal, just being able to be here, teach my kids, see them learn and grow… It’s a blessing to be able to be a dad. And I know it sounds so mundane and so normal, but it’s something that I take pride in, being able to teach them the different sports. So, that part of it has been a lot of fun. I’ve still been able to engage with the fans via social media and engage with the fans through the podcast Outta Pocket with RG3, which I do with my wife, who’s my co-host who’s the record holder at Florida State in Heptathlon. And all my football knowledge that I’ve been pouring into the fans for the last four years, she has all of that now because she’s the one that I practiced on…”
In essence, Griffin is grateful for what happened because it has allowed him to be with his kids and watch them grow.
But as for what happened, Griffin isn’t interested in the details.
“I didn’t ask,” Griffin said when he inquired about why ESPN viewed him as expendable. “I didn’t concern myself with that because at the end of the day, if your wife, your girlfriend comes to you and says, ‘Hey, I want a divorce,’ and it’s not like, ‘Hey, I want you to work on these things; I just want a divorce,’ like, what are you fighting for, bro? She wants someone else. They want a different lifestyle.
“So, for me, it was just about, hey, this is what I was able to accomplish. I didn’t accomplish it by myself, which is why I always mention the people behind the scenes. My last assignment for ESPN was the Flag Football Championships in July…and we had a blast calling those championships, shining a light on the young women who are going to be the future of flag football and potentially playing in the Olympics.
“And I approach every single project like it’s my last project.”
It just so happens that this would be his final one at ESPN.
“I approach every project like it’s important, and I give it the proper detail and preparation that it deserves,” he continued. “And I think that comes across on air. Rising star, not rising star, not wanting to do studio, and then all of a sudden replacing Randy Moss on Monday Night Countdown. That’s just a byproduct of the work and the people believing in you. So, you need the people behind the scenes to believe in you to be successful in this business.
“I think I’ve earned that trust through the work that I put out on camera, and for whatever reason, they just felt like they didn’t see a future there for me anymore. That wasn’t echoed to me in any way; it was just more of, ‘Hey, we’re gonna pay you, and you can go home and be with your family.’ It’s like, thank you, I feel blessed that I get an opportunity to take care of my family and actually still be at home and continue to build.”
Griffin said he doesn’t concern himself with what happened or why it happened — it happened.
Would he be willing to return to ESPN in the future?
“Yeah, I mean, how many times have we seen guys leave a team and go back to a team?” Griffin said. “LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers, people were burning his jerseys. And then he goes to Miami, comes back and wins a championship. Like I said, for me, this isn’t about burning bridges. There’s nothing I could do about the decision that was made. All I can do is continue to work hard, put my best foot forward, and show the fans why I can be and why I’m the best at what I do.
“So, if ESPN changes course and my path leads back there, it’s not something that I’m against.
The Robert Griffin III episode of the AA podcast will be released on Friday, October 25. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. For more content, subscribe to AA’s YouTube page.