WACO, Texas — "It's difficult to come back when you don't really know what that reception is going to be like," former Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III said.
A lot has changed since the last time Robert Griffin III was on Baylor's campus.
"It's just very different for me. The people that were here when I was here aren't here anymore," he said.
Every coach Griffin played for while in college is gone.
Now, he's trying to make the unfamiliar faces on this new Baylor staff a little more familiar, starting with hosting last weekend's quarterback camp.
"Coach Rhule, to his credit, has always tried to make me feel like I'm a part. That was important for me to come back and reconnect with Baylor in a way that can be beneficial to everybody," Griffin said. "This is home, I did a lot of great things here with the guys that I had. I just wanted to come back and make that relationship look great."
Since winning the Heisman in 2011 and being selected No. 2 overall in the 2012 NFL Draft, Griffin has played for three teams. Unfortunately, he's had multiple injuries, cut multiple seasons short, but he never gave up.
"Mentally, I'm probably in a much better place than I have been in my whole life because I've been through so much. And I think that's where people have to understand when you're going through things, it can break you down and completely destroy you or it can build you up and prepare you for what's coming. So that's the way I look at it. God put me through things to allow me to be stronger so that when the time comes, I'll be ready," Griffin said.
Griffin's perseverance paid off. The Baltimore Ravens called him in 2018. He's now their back-up quarterback, helping to guide a young Lamar Jackson, and staying ready for when his next opportunity comes.
He does this all while trying to be a great example for the younger generation.
"I just want people to know that even when it looks like it's over, in 2017 everyone thought it was over. I never believed that. I kept working," Griffin said. You can get angry and stop, or you can get angry and keep working and I think that's what people have to do when they're going through hard times."
More sports on KCENTV.com: