After becoming a bonafide superstar on the college level while playing for Baylor University and winning the Heisman Trophy in 2011, Robert Griffin III was thought to be a player that could carry that superstardom over to the NFL level following getting selected by the then-Washington Redskins with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft.
Griffin was one of the most promising quarterbacks coming out of the college game that year and didn’t disappoint during his first season in the nation’s capital as he went on to win NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and became one of the most exciting young players in the league with a seemingly bright future ahead.
Unfortunately for Griffin, injuries started to pile up for the Baylor product as he couldn’t stay healthy, resulting in him leaving the team in 2016 to sign with the Cleveland Browns in an attempt to resurrect his once-promising football career on the professional level.
Things really didn’t get better for him from there as he then went on to go unsigned in 2017 but got another chance in the NFL, signing with the Baltimore Ravens to back up proven veteran Joe Flacco and talented youngster Lamar Jackson.
Even though Griffin’s stint in Baltimore didn’t last long, offensive line coach Joe D’Alessandris, who passed away, left an impression on him, which led the former NFL quarterback to share his appreciation for him on Twitter.
“He was always driven to be more than the guy that told you what to do and how to do it. He showed you how to live, love and how to work through your passion so you never have to ever have a real job in your life,” Griffin wrote.
Rest in Peace to Coach Joe D’Alessandris. He was so much more than an Offensive line coach. He was family to everybody he ever encountered.
The way this man treated my family from day one when he met them showed me his true character.
He was always driven to be more than the… pic.twitter.com/LouVBgDARs
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) August 25, 2024
D’Alessandris had a very long and rewarding career in football, which began in 1977 when he was a graduate assistant at Western Carolina.
After getting his career started in 1977, he went on to spend a lot of time on the college level as an offensive line coach until making the jump to the NFL with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008 and having stints with the Buffalo Bills and then-San Diego Chargers before landing with the Ravens in 2017.
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Ravens Mourning The Loss Of Longtime Coach