Robert Griffin III is less ‘social’ as tumultuous season takes its toll

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Robert Griffin III descended a staircase Wednesday from the Redskins Park lobby to the locker room and was met with the sight of 20 reporters and cameramen packed tightly around Colt McCoy.

A look of amusement crossed Griffin’s face as he prepared to squeeze by. But public relations chief Tony Wyllie told Griffin that because of the uncertainty about McCoy’s health, both quarterbacks would answer questions.

Griffin had no interest, retreating through the rear entrance of the locker room with Wyllie in pursuit. Griffin eventually consented but cautioned reporters, “I don’t really have much to say.”

At his peak, less than two years ago, Griffin was more than just one of the NFL’s top performers; he was one of the league’s most ebullient personalities. Even in the wake of his debilitating knee injury and throughout last season’s struggles, Griffin was a constant presence on social media, dispensing messages of optimism and inspiration.

But this season not only has damaged Griffin’s stock as a player but has muzzled his public persona over the past month. Gone is the ubiquitous smile and loquacious answers to reporters’ questions.

Whether he feels burned by how his comments have been interpreted or wants to hone his focus on football, one thing is certain: Seeing Griffin virtually silent is as disconcerting as seeing him on the bench.

Fullback Darrel Young recently talked extensively with Griffin about everything from his on-field struggles, his frustrations over criticism from outside the team and from Coach Jay Gruden, and his desire to work his way back.

“He said it’s humbling,” Young said. “Not that he’s an arrogant guy, but it kind of gives you a different perspective for what you’re doing on a daily basis.”

Griffin started to shut down the week leading up to his final start. Following a disappointing outing in a 27-7 loss to Tampa Bay, Griffin was typically open — but perhaps said too much. He discussed his own struggles but added, “If you want to look at the good teams in this league and the great quarterbacks, the Aaron Rodgerses or Peyton Mannings, those guys don’t play well if their guys don’t play well.”

Griffin probably intended to rally his teammates with a we-have-to-fix-this-together sentiment, but some took it as shifting blame. In a locker room already hanging together by a thread, the message was not well received, and Gruden told reporters, “First of all, Robert needs to understand he needs to worry about himself, No. 1, and not everybody else.”

Exasperated by how his words had been perceived, Griffin emulated tight-lipped New England Coach Bill Belichick in his next midweek news conference.

He answered nearly every question with a terse, “Just focused on San Francisco.” Toward the end of the 7-minute 30-second session, when asked about the scrutiny of his every word, Griffin answered with what seemed like a veiled jab.

“It is what it is. You get what you ask for,” he said. “So I am focused on San Francisco. Jay wants me to be focused on San Francisco, and that’s what I am going to do.”

Four days later, Griffin struggled again, throwing for just 106 yards and getting sacked five times. The offense sputtered so badly that Gruden called for an end-around pass from Pierre Garcon to DeSean Jackson, which missed its mark. As they trudged back to the sideline, the wide receivers shook their heads over the state of their offense, the ineffectiveness of their quarterback and the play-calling.

Asked what he believed ailed the offense, Garcon couldn’t contain his frustration.

“Maybe throw to the receivers,” Garcon said with a bitter chuckle. “Throw to the receivers. That’ll fix the problem, especially down in the red zone.”

Teammates weren’t the only ones fed up with Griffin’s struggles. For hours the next day, fans flooded the call-in lines of local sports talk radio shows.

Griffin even found himself under attack on social media. That Monday night, he tweeted that he was praying for Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry, who was then feared to have lymphoma and was later diagnosed with the disease. Fans blasted back with responses such as, ‘[N-word] I’m praying for YOU” and “You trash [N-word].”

Amid the backlash, Griffin retreated even further. He has spoken to reporters just three times since, each time keeping his comments to a minimum.

Some of Griffin’s advisers had long suggested he scale back his social media interaction. But until that point, he believed the chance to acknowledge his fans outweighed the negative.

But he eventually concluded that, to endure this tumultuous chapter, he needed to avoid seeing what was written about him. With distractions blocked out, he proposed to “just focus on football.” That involves increased film study and spending extra time trying to refine his footwork, mechanics and timing — “working on my craft,” as Griffin puts it.

“I know he’s frustrated a little bit, disappointed with the decision I made,” Gruden said Thursday, “but ultimately, I tell him all the time, you can control only what you can control, so come to work every day and prove me wrong.”

That week of the benching proved difficult mentally for Griffin. He tried to hide his emotions during the early part of the week, but by Friday, the final day of the installation of the game plan, coaches and teammates said they sensed his frustration, as if the reality of the situation and his uncertain future with the franchise had set in.

But two days later, as the Redskins warmed up at Lucas Oil Stadium for their game against the Indianapolis Colts, Griffin seemed carefree. He remained on the field after McCoy retreated to the locker room to put the final touches on his pregame preparation, smiling and joking with receivers and offensive assistants. He fired passes and emphatically clapped when receivers made tough catches. When the game got underway, he cheered for McCoy & Co., welcoming them back to the sideline after possessions, whether good or bad.

“This is a business, and Coach makes the decisions and players have to abide by those, so for me, confidence is still sky-high,” Griffin said. “You go out there and have fun and you try to do what you can to help the team win.”

The Friday before the Indianapolis game, Griffin spent an extra 30 minutes on the practice field with Kirk Cousins, an offensive assistant and a few tight ends, working on his footwork and accuracy. After the others left, Griffin remained another 10 minutes. Looking for a way to de-stress and have a little fun, he began working on drop-kicks.

Young had changed into his street clothes, but he came back out.

One of the most outspoken members of the team, Young offered Griffin encouragement and advice.

“I just said, ‘Hey, I know it’s frustrating. I could never be the No. 2 overall pick. I never could understand how you feel in terms of pressure and letting yourself down, letting your family down — if you feel like you’ve let people down — but you’re still human. I’ve been cut. I’ve been out of the league, and I want you to know, it gets better. You’ve just got to believe it.’”

For much of the past week, Griffin’s demeanor appears to have changed. On Monday, with meetings complete and before leaving for the day, he joked with teammates in the locker room and took part in an impromptu Nerf dunk contest. He moved with extra pep during practices, cracking the occasional joke while waiting for his turn in drills or bringing a smile to a teammate’s face with a dance move.

He insists his more guarded approach isn’t a sign of despair but a way to get through the remainder of the season.

“Just focus on what you can control and make the game fun,” Griffin said, describing his mind-set. “It’s hard to make the game fun when you’re 3-10, but guys have to find a way, and I’ve been trying to find that way for myself and trying to involve guys in that. That’s what you’ve got to do. No one wants to be 3-10, but 6-10 is a lot better than 3-13. But you’ve got to make sure you hammer it in, stay focused and get a win.”