Robert Griffin III took too many unnecessary blows last season and suffered two separate injuries to his knee that ultimately ended his season in the Washington Redskins’ playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
This year, Griffin is vowing to get down and out of harms way in an attempt at self-preservation.
“I think it’s ingrained in my head now. I’ll be getting down on Monday night,” Griffin said, via Joseph White of the Associated Press.
Griffin is scheduled to start the Redskins’ season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night. It’s the second time in the last four years Griffin is returning from a major knee injury. He injured his knee during the 2009 season with Baylor but ultimately didn’t change the way he played the game. Now Griffin gets the message and it has finally hit home that he needs to protect himself better.
“It’s a different mentality in college,” Griffin said. “You’re trying to get to the pros, and there are lot more different things you can do at that level that are frowned upon at this level. I just know I’ve got to be safe and slide and still play fearless. I’m not going out there and play scared.”