On Tuesday, June 11, 2013, Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III addressed the media following a minicamp practice at Redskins Park.
On his latest progress:
"I've gotten that question a bunch, but the shocking thing is, every week that does pass by that I don't talk to you – you guys – I am feeling better. So that's a positive sign. When it comes to training camp, it is just a matter of how my body feels when I get back on July 25th before we go down to Richmond and we'll go from there. I mean, I've said it a bunch of times I'm pretty confident I'll be ready."
On the special moment at the end of practice with child on hand with the Make-A-Wish Foundation:
"Yeah, you know, it was the Make-A-Wish [Foundation] and his wish was to come out and spend a day with us. I felt blessed enough that he chose me to be the guy he came out to practice with and hung out with. I don't have any kids but a lot of the coaches do and they say whenever you have a kid you get more sensitive to things that happen with little children. So, it's sad to see what he's going through but we're glad that we could make his day – on this day – and he is actually a pretty good athlete. I was playing with him a lot during the beginning of practice, while everyone was doing the walkthrough. It was just an honor to meet him and just be able to be around him."
On preparing himself mentally in case there is a setback:
"I'm not. [Laughs] I mean, you just don't think negatively – not to put down the question. I think LeBron [James] said, 'You don't play the game afraid to get hurt.' You don't go out on the court wondering, 'If I get hit like this, is something going to happen?' So, I just don't worry about the setbacks, and I just worry about the progress that I am making moving forward. You just take that when it comes because I don't think it is going to come, but if it does come, you take it and roll with it and just adjust."
On his offseason schedule:
"Yeah, I'm going to get married and that's that. I'm going to go on a honeymoon and everything. I'm talking, I'm planning ahead of time to make sure I do things I have to do while I'm on that honeymoon. I think I'm a responsible guy so I'll make sure I do everything I have to, to be ready – cutting, running, working out – so when I get back and they see me, that they'll be not only impressed, but they feel safe and sound to put me out there."
On if he will come to Redskins Park to rehab:
"Yeah, I'm going to be here another week, another two weeks and then I'll be gone for a little bit. I've got to live the personal life too. I'm not going to take that away from my fiancée just for football. There is life outside of football. I'll make sure I stay prepared, ready to go, stay in contact with everybody and then we'll go from there."
On physical or mental steps remaining in his rehab:
"I think on the mental side I'm OK. It's just the physical side – teaching my body how to relearn all the movements. I have been doing a good job with the rest of the guys working the football drills. Whenever we go inside we can't do as much because there's a limited space but when we're outside we're doing all the football-related stuff and everybody looks great. So mentally, it's just about playing like you were never gone and now I've just got to make sure I continue to move forward and not have any setbacks."
On if he was "explosive sprinting" with Chris Thompson and Jordan Reed:
"I thought it was explosive. But I always joke with those guys because, 'I'm not going to race you guys today,' and then we all end up racing. So, you know it's not that we're not supposed to do that, you're supposed to gradually get into it, so the first couple we weren't running as fast and you guys saw us pick it up there on those last three, three or four. They're doing a good job and they're healing. Jordan's looking great and so is Chris. So, I've just got to make sure I keep up with the young guys even though I'm only 23."
On if he was sprinting as fast as he could:
"Fast guys like to say we never run as fast as we can."
On quarterback Tim Tebow signing with the Patriots:
"I think it's good. I know for one, I always root for guys, especially quarterbacks, as odd as it sounds. I'm a quarterback-friendly guy, so I try to root for them that they always succeed and you hate to see a guy out on the street no matter what position he plays. Obviously, Tim's a very passionate player. It was good that someone stepped up and signed him because they felt like he could help their team. I wish the best for him."
On linebacker Brian Orakpo being hungry and ready for training camp:
"I mean, Rak's out there pass rushing, to quote my left tackle Trent Williams, he said he's out there pass rushing like it's the NFC Championship Game. So Rak's definitely excited to be back. We're excited to have him back and just the way our defense is shaping up together with the new guys thrown in there and then the guys that we have healthy and that will be back… [Brandon] Meriweather in training camp and Chase [Minnifield] was back out there and he had a pick today. All those guys look really great. Then offensively we're going to have a lot of weapons back for training camp and we're real optimistic on what the future is going to hold."
On video of Kirk Cousins singing:
"Oh man, I can't comment on that one. We talked amongst ourselves in the QB room and we get on him about it, but like he said, at his high school that was cool. I know it wasn't cool at my high school. We have seen it and we have plans to play that during training camp but we'll see what happens."
On Cousins saying Griffin III was the better singer:
"Thank you, Kirk. I mean, we both sing a lot. I love music, and he has told me that many a times that he thinks I am a better singer than he is."
On his favorite song to sing:
"The song my mom taught us growing up, The Lord's Prayer."
On his role in planning his wedding:
"I mean, I have no say. Basically that's just how it rolls. I mean I am just trying to make sure she doesn't become a bridezilla, but she'll be fine. I'm doing little things here and there behind the scenes with the groomsmen, and little stuff for the wedding. She'll set everything up and then ask me like this or that, and sometimes I actually have a choice and sometimes it doesn't really matter what I say. It's her day, so she's got to enjoy it."
On if they have selected the couple's first song:
"Yes, we have."
On if he will share it:
"I cannot share that now. I will talk to her tomorrow and maybe I'll tweet it or something. We'll see."
On his rehab between now and Training Camp:
"Like I said and you saw today, the explosive sprinting part, I feel comfortable sprinting now and the next big stage is just cutting. It's not that I go cut for two days and I'm ready to go. It's just a month of doing cutting drills, changing direction, that way I can train my body to get back for that. I will start that next week. I'll start cutting next week and then after that it's just everything over and over. I continue to work out in the weight room over the next four or five weeks, continue to keep sprinting, and just get more and more comfortable, and then whatever I feel like I have a deficiency at, I'll make sure I fix that, and there's little exercises you can do to help with that."
On if he can prepare for contact:
"No. I mean you can't get ready for that, it just happens. Whenever camp rolls around and you know I'm out there practicing, that's when you get ready for that. You usually don't get your first hit until game-type situation and I'll be ready for that too."
On his excitement to get away for training camp in Richmond:
"I'm mixed on training camp as far as just going away. I think us going to Richmond will be great for the team. It gets you away from your family, but I think that the positives can also be the negatives. You are away from everybody, even though when we are here we are still isolated from everybody, you still get a window of an hour or two to see your family and for the guys that have kids, they get to see their kids. But going all the way to Richmond is going to be tough for that. But, I think it is good for the team bonding-wise because we'll be out in a new city. It kind of forces guys to have to hang out with each other – not that guys don't want to. It will truly feel like a training camp. It will be the first experience for me because I've always been around wherever we work out, especially in college, so it'll be fun."
On quarterback Pat White:
"You know, Pat's done a good job. He's making throws out there — continually improving. He was a great college quarterback. I know when I saw him the first day he was here it's kind of like, "That's pretty awesome. That's Pat White.' Not that I was star struck or anything, but it's just good to have him around, good to have that third quarterback to takes some reps away from Rex [Grossman] and Kirk [Cousins]. And he's good for our room. That's what you look for, guys that are good for your QB room."
On how hard it has been to watch practice:
"Aw man, it's hard. It's one of the hardest things you ever have to deal with. At least at Baylor I was hurt during the year so I was kind of away from everything for a little bit and I was there on game days to show my support and there in the meetings. But to be doing the rehab while everyone else is practicing is pretty tough. It's one of those things you have to go through. You have to go through adversity when you get injured and I think I'm going through it pretty well but it's never going to be easy. If everything was easy, everybody would do it. I'm just making sure I stay focused and keep my mind in the right place."
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