“Just really grateful”: RGIII looks back on his time at ESPN with gratitude
Ribert Griffin III spoke to Mackenzie Salmon about his firing from ESPN and why he is nothing but grateful for the three years he spent there.
Sport in Seriousness
Less than two weeks after being fired from ESPN, Robert Griffin III says he is “just really grateful” for the opportunity he had at the company.
“I’m just grateful for everything I’ve been able to experience at ESPN,” Griffin told USA TODAY Sports.
Griffin, a former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner at Baylor, was released on Aug. 15. The move was first reported by The Athletic, which said Griffin had two years left on his contract and his seven-figure annual salary would remain the same.
At ESPN, Griffin was part of the “Monday Night Countdown” show that aired before “Monday Night Football,” and he also served as an analyst for college football games. However, before his sudden firing, he was replaced on the “Monday Night Countdown” crew by recently hired former Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce.
“I really enjoyed my time there and I’m going to miss the people who work behind the camera because they don’t get a lot of love and respect because the people who are facing the front are the ones who get all the praise. But I’m just really grateful for my experience there,” Griffin said.
What’s next for RGIII?
Griffin, who is now a free agent, did not say he is moving to another media company and is now promoting his podcast, “Outta Pocket with RGIII.” He said he will “travel around and dedicate himself entirely to telling stories properly.”
“Who knows what the future will bring? College, NFL, announcer’s booth, studio. I’m just going to go where God leads me,” he said.
Griffin and “Sunday NFL Countdown” host Samantha Ponder were two of ESPN’s recent layoffs. Both Griffin and Ponder were reportedly casualties of annual budget reviews at ESPN’s parent company, Disney. ESPN announced last week that Mike Greenberg would take over as host of “Sunday NFL Countdown,” joining the crew of Tedy Bruschi, Randy Moss, Rex Ryan, Alex Smith and NFL insider Adam Schefter.
