Robert Griffin III is a 23-year-old millionaire athlete. He's the reigning NFL offensive rookie of the year. And next month, he'll move into Tom Brady territory by gracing the cover of GQ. He's a megastar. But RG3 isn't like most professional athletes in his position. He married his college sweetheart in July and he remains grounded off the field. In fact, a snippet from that GQ story revealed that Griffin doesn't even drink. Never has.
"Never had a drop. I don't smoke, I don't drink, I've never done any drugs. I need my body to be at its peak performance, and I want to have a long career, and alcohol can inhibit that sometimes. And I don't need to get in trouble because I went out and got drunk one night and I don't know how to be drunk. But she"—he nodded at Rebecca, his wife, who sat with us for part of the interview—"drinks, and I don't judge, and what I've told her a bunch of times is the first time I drink, I'll drink with her. When I'm done playing and I retire, and it's time for me to go sit in a big house and do nothing all day, I'm going to drink. You know?"
I'm not pointing a finger at those who do indulge once in a while. Hell, most of us do. And if we were rich athletes, we might be liable to do so even more. But that's what's so impressive about Griffin, who also calls himself "a natural loner." It's not as though he's anti-booze, but he is so dedicated to performing at an excellent level that he's putting that stuff on hold.
It's just another reason to believe Griffin can avoid going down the path that has destroyed many pro athletes before him, including the man he's been compared to on the field more than anyone else, Michael Vick.
[GQ]
