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This Memorial Day weekend, like the rest of them, comes home to Robert Griffin III, but this one might be a little more special.
The son of two U.S. Army veterans, the former Washington Commanders quarterback returned to the nation’s capital as part of his long-standing association with USAA.
Griffin visited USAA’s Poppy Wall of Honor, a powerful tribute recognizing more than 600,000 service members who gave their lives in defense of our country, each represented by a single poppy, on the National Mall.
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Robert Griffin III watches before the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cincinnati Bengals at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on December 4, 2023. (David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire)
“It’s really an opportunity to share their stories. In fact, they’ve enhanced the exhibit even more this year by adding stories of fallen soldiers, so you can walk through the exhibit and hear the stories their family members tell,” Griffin told Pak Gazette Digital in a recent interview.
“Because in the military community, many times we feel that maybe the sacrifices are not as appreciated, or maybe sometimes we are forgotten for the things that we do for this country. These people who are honored by this wall made the ultimate sacrifice. So it’s not them who feel it, it’s their families.
“Hearing those stories from the families is really important and impactful, and they just want to not be forgotten. So if we can continue to tell their stories and pay tribute to them and honor them, their stories will stay alive.”
Griffin knows many Americans will take advantage of the long weekend with some poolside barbecues, but he implored everyone to realize why they can do it in the first place.
A wall of more than 600,000 red poppies representing U.S. service members who died in the line of duty since World War I is displayed along the National Mall in Washington, DC, on May 26, 2024. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Images)
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“I’m not saying it’s not about that. What I’m saying is there’s a reason we’re able to do that, and it’s because of our service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice,” Griffin said. “I just want to be here with USAA and spread the word. It’s okay to have fun, but if you have some time, get together, take a moment of silence, say a prayer, share the stories if you know someone who was in the military and made the ultimate sacrifice, so we can keep those stories alive and truly know that the reason for Memorial Day is about them. It’s not about us.”
By being surrounded by veterans his entire life, Griffin was able to learn some lessons from those who served on the gridiron and in life.
“Yes, it doesn’t have a colon at all. It’s very impactful. With my parents, it was always, ‘Whatever you start, you’ll finish.’ It’s ‘yes ma’am,’ ‘no ma’am,’ ‘yes sir,’ ‘no sir,’ and the discipline it takes to get to where you want to be means you’re going to have to overcome adversity,” she said. “When you talk about the kind of mental toughness you have to have to do something like that – knowing that you might never see your mom again, your dad, your son, your husband, your wife – it’s really remarkable, and it just shows how seriously they take their service and how much they love this country.
Robert Griffin III, former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst, watches before the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cincinnati Bengals at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, on Dec. 4, 2023. (David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire)
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“If we can apply that to everything we do in life, this country will continue to grow and continue to be great at the level it has been. To me, that’s what the military is. They are the best of us, and these people deserve to be honored.”
