ASHBURN, Va. (FNN Media) — The interest in Robert Griffin III has only intensified for the Washington Redskins. Perhaps it was his appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno last week.
A huge throng of media assembled on a dark and rainy Monday morning at Redskins Park to catch a glimpse of the future. And he didn’t disappoint.
Nor has he disappointed the veterans on the team, many of whom he held court with on the field for the first time on Monday.
One veteran in particular that has been impressed with the Heisman Trophy winner is Chris Cooley, who is returning following a disappointing injury-riddled 2011 campaign.
After fielding questions about his own health, the topic of conversation quickly turned to that of his new quarterback.
“For the first three weeks being around Griff, I couldn’t have expected more,” Cooley said. “The way he’s come in and worked, not just with the team, but with our staff and our playbook has been extremely impressive. His ability to pick up our offense, just what we have initially, and his ability to come in our huddle and enunciate our plays, call the plays confidently, get us to the line… it’s been pretty exciting.”
The veteran tight end said he was especially impressed at the speed in which RGIII has picked up the playbook given his recollection of trying to learn the offense when he was a rookie.
Larger than Griffin’s book smarts, however, are the intangibles and perhaps the very reason Mike Shanahan and Bruce Allen “fell in love” with him as a prospect out of Baylor.
RGIII is changing the Redskins culture.
“Something that stood out to me, especially as a rookie, is he said ‘It’s not about playing good football. It’s about winning.’ ” Cooley recalled. “I’ve been here long enough to know that playing good football doesn’t really do it for you. It is about winning. And I think that as I group we have to take that attitude. I think he’ll instantly come in and be a leader for us and kind of sway everything toward that direction.”
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