Robert Griffin III's gold practice jersey featured a new decoration after Sunday morning's Redskins training camp practice.
Now prominently displayed on his left shoulder is the autograph of Jamia, 18, a huge Redskins fan who on Sunday made the two-plus-hour trip with her family from Lusby, Md., to the Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center in Richmond, Va.
Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation and Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic granted Jamia's wish to meet and throw a football with her idol; Robert Griffin III.
Jamia – who in 2010 was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease and later had a successful kidney transplant – was a special guest of the Washington Redskins Charitable Foundation and Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic, who teamed together to grant her wish of meeting her favorite player: Griffin III, the 2012 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and Heisman Trophy Award winner from Baylor.
Griffin III said it might've been Jamia's ultimate wish to meet him, but pleasure of the encounter was all his.
"Jamia, she's amazing," Griffin III said. "You know, it's crazy in those situations -- they think they they're being blessed, but they're really blessing us more so."
Jamia was treated to the ultimate Redskins fan VIP experience on Sunday.
She began watching practice from the owner's tent before being invited onto the sidelines for the rest of the session. Afterwards, she ran sprints with the team, played catch and danced with Griffin III, and got to meet many more of her favorite players, as well as Redskins owner Dan Snyder and President and general manager Bruce Allen.
"I had a chance to play catch and run a race – she beat me in the race," Griffin III said with a smile.
Jamia was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease in May 2010, and received dialysis for about three years before undergoing a kidney transplant. She's been stable since the operation.
Jamia's love of sports – particularly the Redskins (she knows "all the stats for RGIII and the entire Redskins team") – gave her a helping hand during her journey.
Accordingly, Jamia asked Griffin III sign the customized No. 1 Redskins jersey that she received on Sunday.
But she was taken by surprise when Griffin III asked her to return the favor.
"I wanted to give her something special and something to carry along with me on this journey," Griffin III said. "When I was growing up I always wanted to meet guys I looked up to, role models. I tell you what -- if I'd have met Michael Jordan and he asked for my autograph, I think it would have been a shock. It's flipping the script a little bit, but I think it means something to them. If I'm their first autograph, I think, that's an honor to me."
Jamia's awesome Redskins journey isn't ending with Sunday's practice experience, however.
She will serve as the honorary captain for the Redskins-Browns preseason game Aug. 18 at FedExField, where her family and she will receive pre-game field passes, tickets and the opportunity to watch as Jamia will join both teams' captains at midfield to witness the coin toss with the game officials.
It'll be the experience of a lifetime for a fan who loves cheering on Griffin III and her Redskins.
"It's great to be able to have an impact like that," the quarterback said.
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