By Ronald N. Guy Jr.
March announces the arrival of shamrocks, leprechauns,
green beer and, for sports enthusiasts, the madness of the NCAA basketball
tournament.
But this piece isn’t about the coming of basketball’s greatest
event; it’s about the once unimaginable farewell of two shooting stars across
the area’s skyline.
On September 9, 2012, less than four years but a
lifetime ago, Washington rookies Robert Griffin III and Alfred Morris debuted
and powered the ‘Skins to a 40-32 upset of the New Orleans Saints. In what would become a recurring storyline of
their Washington tenures, Griffin was exalted after throwing for 320 yards and
two touchdowns, while the steady, workmanlike Morris rushed for an oh-by-the-way
96 yards and two touchdowns. The famous
Griffin and under-appreciated Morris were born: The roles fit the players’
personalities, how they arrived in Washington and how each man chose to conduct
his NFL business.
Griffin, of course, was the second overall pick in the
draft, an electric, Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who relished the
spotlight, had charisma to burn and injected a demoralized fanbase with an
overdose of hope. Griffin parlayed his fame
and instant NFL success into a personal brand.
He hawked sports drinks, athletic shoes and subs. He spewed slogans, tweeted virally and
developed a personal logo. Robert
Griffin/Clark Kent was transformed into RGIII/Superman. It worked in his fabulous rookie year, but as
he encountered injuries and adversity, the intensely prideful Griffin
passive-aggressively quarreled with coaches, dodged blame and was unable to
accept the reality of his severely degraded performance.
Morris, meanwhile, was an anonymous sixth round
selection from Florida Atlantic. He befittingly
arrived in Washington in a vintage 1991 Mazda 626. With nothing guaranteed, the humble Morris fought
his way onto the roster and parlayed a strong preseason into a starting job
that he would hold for four years. Morris
was consistently available, productive, the consummate teammate and a beacon in
the community. Despite two Pro Bowl appearances,
Morris lived below the radar, generated no drama (unlike Griffin) and demonstrated
a quality of character that is the dream of any organization and the goal of
every well-intended parent.
Considering Griffin’s cataclysmic demise, it would be
easy to point a finger at the one-time wunderkind quarterback with the
unquenchable thirst for fame and pontificate about how his narcissism and endless
flirtations with extraneous football activities contributed to his fall. To further the point, Morris, a guy that did
everything the right way by any old school measure of personal success, would
be put forth as the example of how to earn your way in the world. The problem is, after four years in D.C.,
both players found themselves in a similar state: unemployed.
A 2016 ‘Skins roster absent both Griffin and Morris
would have been unfathomable after that victorious September Sunday in
2012. But here we are on Planet Bizarro.
So if Griffin made many missteps and Morris did everything right, yet both
arrived at the same unfortunate place, is there any sense to be made of this? Any teaching point to glean. A success
formula to follow? Any nugget of wisdom to file?
There is, but only if differences are ignored and Griffin
and Morris are considered as an inseparable duo. If I walked into a classroom and 30 sets of young
eyes were staring at me in anticipation of a life lesson, here’s what I’d say…
As a new team member, earn your place. Don’t act entitled and don’t do things that
separate yourself from the group. If you
have a problem with someone, talk to them directly and in private - social
media isn’t your friend. Accept
constructive criticism. Own your
mistakes. Be self-deprecating. And if you rise to a leadership position, absorb
blame and deflect credit. But know that
even if you do all these things, the world is inherently unfair. It will deal you an undeserved hand. It will discard you at the hint of decline. When it does, recover, get up and steadfastly
chart a new course on the bumpy road to success.
I’m betting on a second act for Griffin and Morris to validate
that last point.
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