Robert Griffin III returns to D.C. with football camp for military families

Robert Griffin III returned to the D.C.-area gridiron on Wednesday, nine years after he last played quarterback for the Washington Redskins, to lead a football camp for the country’s “hidden heroes”: military families.

Approximately 75 participants braved rainy conditions at the Prince George’s Sports Complex in the shadow of Northwest Stadium for the first-ever USAA “Heroes Huddle” ahead of Saturday’s Army-Navy game in Landover, Maryland.

Griffin said the D.C. homecoming was a humbling experience for a self-described Army brat who called Washington his home.

“It means everything. It’s about giving back to the city that changed my life,” Griffin said. “It’s a truly special feeling to be able to give back to the military and D.C. communities that mean a lot to me.”

Despite gray skies and constant showers, kids and adults flashed athletic prowess on the gridiron, finding refuge in on-field tents between drills. 

Together, they practiced their skills through a receiving gauntlet, passing drill, 40-yard dash, three-cone shuttle and a broad jump competition. All the while, Griffin offered tips and adjustments from the sideline.

The 125th Army-Navy college football game spotlights the military ties around the nation’s capital, with events highlighting active duty service members and veterans dotting the region this week. 

But Wednesday’s event, hosted by USAA and the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, focused on the people behind the scenes: the children and caregivers of service members and veterans.

“This is a great opportunity for us to highlight them and the role they play, because they’re often unnoticed or overlooked,” said Stephen Saunders, chief development officer for the Elizabeth Dole Foundation. “Just to highlight them and give them a special opportunity to meet [Griffin] and learn some new football skills.”

Before taking the field, Griffin signed autographs and took photos with event participants, sporting the same smile he wore at the 2012 NFL draft when the Washington Redskins selected him with the No. 2 pick.

Griffin said his initial stint in the District doesn’t feel like that long ago, but his time in the spotlight has passed.

“I had my time. And now it’s time to give back. It’s time to allow the D.C. area — the DMV — to reap the benefits of what they poured into my life,” the retired quarterback said. “I want to give back in a much bigger way.”

With his playing days behind him — and his time as an ESPN broadcaster cut short in August — Griffin is looking forward. He’ll be part of Netflix’s NFL studio shows on Christmas Day, but he said that isn’t his primary focus.

Events with USAA and his own foundation give him purpose: the child of two U.S. Army sergeants, the 34-year-old grew up around the military. He notes that he can understand the experience of military families. Griffin never experienced an event like this growing up in Copperas Cove, Texas.

“You don’t want them to feel like they’re forgotten. That’s the bottom line,” Griffin said of military families. “I grew up in a city where, when we went to war, some of my classmates’ parents didn’t come back. It’s a special bond that military brats have.”

Griffin, tossing touchdown passes to groups of ecstatic children, still looks like he could run the triple option for either of the squads squaring off in this weekend’s Army-Navy showdown.

Among the children participating in the drills, there could be a future Heisman Trophy winner, or a general, doctor, politician or lawyer, Griffin said.

“We want to foster that,” he said. “We want them to know that they can achieve their dreams. And if we can do that through football, because we all love football, what better way is there?”