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PRESS RELEASE
April 26, 2012
REDSKINS SELECT ROBERT GRIFFIN III WITH SECOND OVERALL PICK
ASHBURN, Va. – The Washington Redskins selected quarterback Robert Griffin III in the first round (No. 2 overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Griffin III, 22, played three seasons at Baylor, where he appeared in 41 games with 40 starts, capturing the 2011 Heisman Trophy last season as a junior. In his career, Griffin III amassed 12,620 total offensive yards, including 10,366 passing yards and 2,254 rushing yards. He completed 800-of-1,192 pass attempts (67.1 completion percentage), with 78 passing touchdowns and a 158.9 passing efficiency. Griffin III finished his collegiate career with the NCAA record for lowest percentage of passes intercepted (17 INTs of 1,192 pass attempts – 1.43 percent).
As a junior in 2011, Griffin III (6-2, 223) became the first Heisman Trophy winner in Baylor history in addition to being named a consensus All-American, unanimous All-Big 12 Conference first-team selection and earning national Player of the Year honors from Sporting News, Yahoo! Sports and Fox Sports. He was also the recipient of the Davey O’Brien Award, Walter Camp Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and Chic Harley Award.
On the season, Griffin III set single-season school records and lead the Big 12 in total offense (4,992), touchdown responsibility (47) and pass efficiency (189.5). He was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year after passing for 4,293 yards, completing 291-of-402 (72.4 percent – Baylor season-record) attempts and tossing 37 touchdowns (tied for first in the Big 12). He also added 699 rushing yards on 179 attempts (3.9 avg.).
In 2010, following a redshirt year, Griffin III started all 13 games, earning All-Big 12 Conference first-team honors and was named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year. He completed 304-of-454 passes (67.0 percent) for 3,501 yards, 22 passing touchdowns and 635 rushing yards on 149 rushes (4.3 avg.) and eight touchdowns.
As a freshman in 2008, Griffin III was voted Offensive Freshman of the Year by the league’s coaches. He appeared in all 12 games, starting his final 11 contests, and established the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision record of 209 passes without an interception to start a career. He finished his first collegiate season with 2,091 passing yards, 843 rushing yards and 28 total touchdowns.
A native of Copperas Cove, Texas, Griffin III attended Copperas Cove High School, where he was a two-year starter at quarterback posting a 25-4 record. He was one of the nation’s top high school sprinters, receiving 2007 Gatorade Texas Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year after setting state records in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles. Robert Lee Griffin, III was born Feb. 12, 1990.
NOTES ON THE SELECTION OF ROBERT GRIFFIN III
• Griffin III is the fourth player selected by the Redskins with the No. 2 overall pick, joining Riley Smith (1936), Norm Snead (1961) and LaVar Arrington (2000).
• Griffin III is the fourth Heisman Trophy winner to be selected by the Redskins in the NFL Draft and the first since the Redskins selected WR Desmond Howard (No. 4 overall) in the first round of the 1992 NFL Draft.
• Griffin III is the first Heisman-winning quarterback selected by the Redskins. In addition to Griffin III and Howard, the Redskins’ other two Heisman-winning draft picks were running backs (Vic Janowicz, 1952; Ernie Davis, 1962).
• Griffin III is the second Heisman Trophy winner drafted by a Mike Shanahan-coached team. Shanahan was head coach of the Los Angeles Raiders in 1988 when the Raiders selected Heisman WR Tim Brown out of Notre Dame.
• Griffin III is the 52nd of 76 Heisman Trophy winners (including vacated awards) to have been selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.
• The Redskins are the sixth NFL franchise to have drafted at least four Heisman Trophy winners. With Griffin III’s selection, the Redskins join the Lions (10), Rams (8), Saints (5), Bears (4) and Raiders (4).
• Griffin III is the ninth Baylor player selected by the Redskins all-time. Below are all of the Baylor players selected by the Redskins:
YEAR ROUND (PICK) PLAYER
1951 14 (160) QB Adrian Burk
1952 1 (7) B Larry Isbell
1954 17 (200) B Jerry Coody
1970 17 (433) DT Earl Maxfield
1976 5 (148) G Mike Hughes
1983 10 (279) LB Geff Gandy
1987 7 (192) DB Johnny Thomas
1991 9 (243) DB Charles Bell
2012 1 (2) QB Robert Griffin III
• Griffin III is the first rookie quarterback from Baylor to be drafted by the Redskins. The Redskins previously selected QB Adrian Burk in the 1951 NFL Draft, but Burk was eligible for selection after having played one season for the original Baltimore Colts, a team that folded following the 1950 season and had all of its players placed in the 1951 NFL Draft.
• Baylor is the now the 14th school to have at least six players selected by the Redskins in the Common Draft era (since 1967), joining Nebraska (11), Penn State (11), Colorado (9), Tennessee (9), Miami (8), Michigan (7), Notre Dame (7), San Diego State (7), Texas (7), UCLA (7), USC (7), Maryland (6) and UTEP (6).
• Griffin III is the ninth first-round pick from Baylor in the Common Draft era (excluding supplemental draft selections) and the first Baylor quarterback to be selected in the first round in the Common Draft era. Later in the round, WR Kendall Wright became the 10th first-round pick from Baylor in that time frame.
• Griffin III is the fourth Baylor player selected in the first round of the last four NFL Drafts, joining T Jason Smith (No. 2 overall, 2009), DT Phil Taylor (No. 21 overall, 2011) and OL Danny Watkins (No. 23 overall, 2011). Including Kendall Wright’s selection, the five first-rounders are the most the school has ever had in a four-year period.
• Griffin III is the first Baylor player selected by a Shanahan-coached team and the first Big 12 quarterback selected by a Shanahan-coached organization.
• Griffin III is the 24th quarterback selected by the Redskins in the Common Draft era and the first quarterback selected since the team drafted Colt Brennan (sixth round, No. 186 overall in 2008).
• Griffin III is the 17th player selected by the Redskins to have played collegiately in the Big 12 Conference.
• Griffin III is only the second Big 12 quarterback selected by the Redskins, joining Iowa State’s Sage Rosenfels (fourth round, No. 109 overall in 2001).
• Griffin III is the Redskins’ third first-round pick to have played in the Big 12 Conference, joining current Redskins Brian Orakpo (No. 13 overall in 2009) and Trent Williams (No. 4 overall in 2010).
• Griffin III (Copperas Cove H.S., Copperas Cove, Texas) is the third player drafted by the Redskins in the first round in the last four drafts to have played his high school football in Texas, joining first-rounders Orakpo (Lamar H.S., Houston) and Williams (Longview H.S., Longview, Texas).
• Griffin III is the second quarterback drafted by the Redskins in the first round to have played collegiately in the state of Texas, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Sammy Baugh (TCU), who was drafted by the Redskins in 1937 prior to the team’s first season in Washington.
• Griffin III is the ninth quarterback selected by a Shanahan-coached team, joining David Weber (Round 11, 1988), Jeff Francis (Round 6, 1989), Jeff Lewis (Round 4, 1996), Brian Griese (Round 3, 1998), Jarious Jackson (Round 7, 2000), Matt Mauck (Round 7, 2004), Bradlee Van Pelt (Round 7, 2004) and Jay Cutler (Round 1, 2006).
• Griffin III, born in Okinawa, Japan, is the first internationally-born player selected by the Redskins in the first round since the team selected K Charlie Gogolak (Rapahidveg, Hungary) with the sixth overall pick of the 1966 NFL Draft.
• The 2012 NFL Draft marks the fifth time in the Common Draft era that quarterbacks have been selected with each of the top two picks. Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III are the first pair of quarterbacks selected No. 1 and No. 2 in the same year since 1999.
April 26, 2012
REDSKINS SELECT ROBERT GRIFFIN III WITH SECOND OVERALL PICK
ASHBURN, Va. – The Washington Redskins selected quarterback Robert Griffin III in the first round (No. 2 overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft.
Griffin III, 22, played three seasons at Baylor, where he appeared in 41 games with 40 starts, capturing the 2011 Heisman Trophy last season as a junior. In his career, Griffin III amassed 12,620 total offensive yards, including 10,366 passing yards and 2,254 rushing yards. He completed 800-of-1,192 pass attempts (67.1 completion percentage), with 78 passing touchdowns and a 158.9 passing efficiency. Griffin III finished his collegiate career with the NCAA record for lowest percentage of passes intercepted (17 INTs of 1,192 pass attempts – 1.43 percent).
As a junior in 2011, Griffin III (6-2, 223) became the first Heisman Trophy winner in Baylor history in addition to being named a consensus All-American, unanimous All-Big 12 Conference first-team selection and earning national Player of the Year honors from Sporting News, Yahoo! Sports and Fox Sports. He was also the recipient of the Davey O’Brien Award, Walter Camp Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and Chic Harley Award.
On the season, Griffin III set single-season school records and lead the Big 12 in total offense (4,992), touchdown responsibility (47) and pass efficiency (189.5). He was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year after passing for 4,293 yards, completing 291-of-402 (72.4 percent – Baylor season-record) attempts and tossing 37 touchdowns (tied for first in the Big 12). He also added 699 rushing yards on 179 attempts (3.9 avg.).
In 2010, following a redshirt year, Griffin III started all 13 games, earning All-Big 12 Conference first-team honors and was named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year. He completed 304-of-454 passes (67.0 percent) for 3,501 yards, 22 passing touchdowns and 635 rushing yards on 149 rushes (4.3 avg.) and eight touchdowns.
As a freshman in 2008, Griffin III was voted Offensive Freshman of the Year by the league’s coaches. He appeared in all 12 games, starting his final 11 contests, and established the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision record of 209 passes without an interception to start a career. He finished his first collegiate season with 2,091 passing yards, 843 rushing yards and 28 total touchdowns.
A native of Copperas Cove, Texas, Griffin III attended Copperas Cove High School, where he was a two-year starter at quarterback posting a 25-4 record. He was one of the nation’s top high school sprinters, receiving 2007 Gatorade Texas Boys Track and Field Athlete of the Year after setting state records in the 110- and 300-meter hurdles. Robert Lee Griffin, III was born Feb. 12, 1990.
NOTES ON THE SELECTION OF ROBERT GRIFFIN III
• Griffin III is the fourth player selected by the Redskins with the No. 2 overall pick, joining Riley Smith (1936), Norm Snead (1961) and LaVar Arrington (2000).
• Griffin III is the fourth Heisman Trophy winner to be selected by the Redskins in the NFL Draft and the first since the Redskins selected WR Desmond Howard (No. 4 overall) in the first round of the 1992 NFL Draft.
• Griffin III is the first Heisman-winning quarterback selected by the Redskins. In addition to Griffin III and Howard, the Redskins’ other two Heisman-winning draft picks were running backs (Vic Janowicz, 1952; Ernie Davis, 1962).
• Griffin III is the second Heisman Trophy winner drafted by a Mike Shanahan-coached team. Shanahan was head coach of the Los Angeles Raiders in 1988 when the Raiders selected Heisman WR Tim Brown out of Notre Dame.
• Griffin III is the 52nd of 76 Heisman Trophy winners (including vacated awards) to have been selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.
• The Redskins are the sixth NFL franchise to have drafted at least four Heisman Trophy winners. With Griffin III’s selection, the Redskins join the Lions (10), Rams (8), Saints (5), Bears (4) and Raiders (4).
• Griffin III is the ninth Baylor player selected by the Redskins all-time. Below are all of the Baylor players selected by the Redskins:
YEAR ROUND (PICK) PLAYER
1951 14 (160) QB Adrian Burk
1952 1 (7) B Larry Isbell
1954 17 (200) B Jerry Coody
1970 17 (433) DT Earl Maxfield
1976 5 (148) G Mike Hughes
1983 10 (279) LB Geff Gandy
1987 7 (192) DB Johnny Thomas
1991 9 (243) DB Charles Bell
2012 1 (2) QB Robert Griffin III
• Griffin III is the first rookie quarterback from Baylor to be drafted by the Redskins. The Redskins previously selected QB Adrian Burk in the 1951 NFL Draft, but Burk was eligible for selection after having played one season for the original Baltimore Colts, a team that folded following the 1950 season and had all of its players placed in the 1951 NFL Draft.
• Baylor is the now the 14th school to have at least six players selected by the Redskins in the Common Draft era (since 1967), joining Nebraska (11), Penn State (11), Colorado (9), Tennessee (9), Miami (8), Michigan (7), Notre Dame (7), San Diego State (7), Texas (7), UCLA (7), USC (7), Maryland (6) and UTEP (6).
• Griffin III is the ninth first-round pick from Baylor in the Common Draft era (excluding supplemental draft selections) and the first Baylor quarterback to be selected in the first round in the Common Draft era. Later in the round, WR Kendall Wright became the 10th first-round pick from Baylor in that time frame.
• Griffin III is the fourth Baylor player selected in the first round of the last four NFL Drafts, joining T Jason Smith (No. 2 overall, 2009), DT Phil Taylor (No. 21 overall, 2011) and OL Danny Watkins (No. 23 overall, 2011). Including Kendall Wright’s selection, the five first-rounders are the most the school has ever had in a four-year period.
• Griffin III is the first Baylor player selected by a Shanahan-coached team and the first Big 12 quarterback selected by a Shanahan-coached organization.
• Griffin III is the 24th quarterback selected by the Redskins in the Common Draft era and the first quarterback selected since the team drafted Colt Brennan (sixth round, No. 186 overall in 2008).
• Griffin III is the 17th player selected by the Redskins to have played collegiately in the Big 12 Conference.
• Griffin III is only the second Big 12 quarterback selected by the Redskins, joining Iowa State’s Sage Rosenfels (fourth round, No. 109 overall in 2001).
• Griffin III is the Redskins’ third first-round pick to have played in the Big 12 Conference, joining current Redskins Brian Orakpo (No. 13 overall in 2009) and Trent Williams (No. 4 overall in 2010).
• Griffin III (Copperas Cove H.S., Copperas Cove, Texas) is the third player drafted by the Redskins in the first round in the last four drafts to have played his high school football in Texas, joining first-rounders Orakpo (Lamar H.S., Houston) and Williams (Longview H.S., Longview, Texas).
• Griffin III is the second quarterback drafted by the Redskins in the first round to have played collegiately in the state of Texas, joining Pro Football Hall of Famer Sammy Baugh (TCU), who was drafted by the Redskins in 1937 prior to the team’s first season in Washington.
• Griffin III is the ninth quarterback selected by a Shanahan-coached team, joining David Weber (Round 11, 1988), Jeff Francis (Round 6, 1989), Jeff Lewis (Round 4, 1996), Brian Griese (Round 3, 1998), Jarious Jackson (Round 7, 2000), Matt Mauck (Round 7, 2004), Bradlee Van Pelt (Round 7, 2004) and Jay Cutler (Round 1, 2006).
• Griffin III, born in Okinawa, Japan, is the first internationally-born player selected by the Redskins in the first round since the team selected K Charlie Gogolak (Rapahidveg, Hungary) with the sixth overall pick of the 1966 NFL Draft.
• The 2012 NFL Draft marks the fifth time in the Common Draft era that quarterbacks have been selected with each of the top two picks. Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III are the first pair of quarterbacks selected No. 1 and No. 2 in the same year since 1999.