LANDOVER, Md. (FNN Media) — Robert Griffin III came out of the tunnel, took a lap around the perimeter of the field and gazed at the empty seats before fans began trickling in. Nerves did not appear to be a factor for the future of the franchise as the clock neared two hours until kickoff.
As if he’d played there a hundred times before, Griffin calmly began warming up at midfield, taking time to joke with teammates.
Scores of cameramen began circling the Heisman Trophy winner. All were within a few feet of the rookie, but he was seemingly unaware of their presence.
The field began to fill with players — Graham Gano and Sav Rocca firmly focused on a battle to see who could hit the field goal post by tossing the football from the 20-yard-line.
As Gano celebrated his victory, Griffin continued take mental reps unaware of the kicker’s feat.
Next, he fell into rotation with the other quarterbacks, taking turns hitting crossing receivers on 10-yard routes. Cameras continued to follow and fans began filing in, but Griffin maintained his focus.
Certainly he’s played in games much larger than this, but this was his a huge moment of its own. This was Griffin’s coming out party — a home debut that has been highly anticipated since the Redskins acquired the second overall pick in the draft in March.
Actually, it’s a debut that has been in the works since Mike Shanahan took over three years ago.
And it’s only the preseason.
