Robert Griffin III: Football, Faith, and Leadership

by Ted Kluck, Jim Kelly (Foreword)

In their opening game of the 2012 season—playing in the hostile New Orleans Superdome—the Washington Redskins scored 40 points for the first time in seven years and upset record-breaking quarterback Drew Brees and the Saints. The difference between a dreary 2011 season and the next? It can now be summarized with initials: RG3.



Robert Griffin III arrived in the NFL with the eyes of a football-loving nation examining his every feat with the unspoken anticipation stars bring: “What’s next?” Having signed four endorsement contracts before his first professional pass, RG3 aimed to dispel the notion that “running quarterbacks” are an endangered species once they leave the college game behind. Playing with a dynamism that brought fans to their feet every time he took a snap, RG3 brought rock-star glow to America’s most popular sport.



Style and aura, though, will take a football player only so far. What kind of impact could RG3 make as that most endangered species of player, a rookie quarterback? Chronicled here for the first time are the triumphs and trials of Robert Griffin’s rise to the NFL, a profile of his natural leadership ability, and his faith that holds it all together.



Griffin himself says, “The only thing I fear is God.” Blessed with more talent than any Redskins quarterback in decades, Griffin knows physical ability is but one requirement for long-term success in the NFL. Game to game and season to season, challenges must be met with willpower few athletes possess. This is the story of the 2012 NFL Rookie of the Year overcoming those challenges.

Genres: Biography, Sports

256 pages, Hardcover

First published August 6, 2013

About the author

Ted Kluck writes on topics ranging from Mike Tyson to the Emergent Church. Ted has played professional indoor football, coached high school football, trained as a professional wrestler, served as a missionary, and taught writing courses at the college level.

Reviews

[J]

At times I felt I should put the book down. However, I like to finish what I started. This was a bit of a struggle. Felt a lot during the read, what is talking about? Is this about RG 3 or is this a survey of other quarterbacks? Just didn’t see many of the connections in the storytelling. Don’t usually like to give negative comments but this one I felt could have have been a lot better.

[Bryan York]

I thought the book would talk about RG3's life and journey. His faith.
I was wrong.

Not for me. I didn't even make it past chapter 4.
It’s a book about the history of NFL drafted quarterbacks.

With this title I expected an interview with Griffin, his parents, coaches, and teammates. I was looking for new insights into the man, but didn't get any and why I stopped reading.
Other books perhaps but not this one.

[Star Gater]

Disappointed. This was football with a little personality thrown in. I picked this up wanting to know the 411 on RGIII and really got the front of a post-it note.

The narrator was fun. His rough voice seemed to fit. I had a feeling he liked football. Okay, yes, I know he could just be a good narrator.

Thanks to Christian books.com for the .99 cent sale.

[Mickey Hodges]

Was letdown with this one. Not what I was expecting. My wife purchased this for me at a Christian bookstore. I thought it was going to be more about Griffin and his faith. It’s mentioned, finally and briefly, in one of the last chapters. The rest of it is about quarterbacking in the NFL, with Griffin mentioned from time to time. Just could have been so much more.

[Andrew Wolgemuth]

A fun read. Few would have guessed how RG3's career would go from the time this book was written, but Kluck's appreciation for Griffin's dynamic launch into the NFL didn't lead him to overestimate his career trajectory.

(full disclosure: the literary agency I work for represents Ted)

[Nolan]

He still brought all his own stuff out for workouts

[Kristin]

Surprised even myself that I would read a football book filled with statistics. But I like this author.

[Brenten Gilbert]

RATING 2.75 STARS

NOTE: I read and reviewed this book alongside of RG3: The Promise). If there are any references or comparisons to "the other book" (or anything to that effect), that's the book I'm talking about. Okay, here we go...

I read Ted Kluck’s book first. Actually, I started reading them both simultaneously – switching back and forth depending on where I was and whether I had a copy with me – but that quickly got confusing due to overlapping accounts and details. So, to be fair to both books (and avoid unfounded complaints about repetition), I took turns and this one came first.

This book was informative and easy to read, covering the story of RGIII in what seemed like “real time” as his rookie season unfolded. At times, though, it was odd in the level of detail. There were many sections that assumed the reader was quite familiar with the “X’s and O’s” of the game. And sometimes, these would be followed by sections that took the reader’s hand and explained the most basic terms and concepts. It’s an imbalance that can be charming, but also can frustrate both sides of the spectrum.

Another incongruence is the connection between the content and the title. Athlete, Leader, Believer. The three terms that comprise the subtitle make bold claims, claims that remain largely unexplored by the end of the book. Yes, is a lot of discussion on the surface that RGIII is athletic and a good leader, but nothing much beyond what has already been reported (and repeated) by various sports outlets. And, perhaps most strikingly, the concept of RGIII as a “Believer” was understated at best.

All in all, though, this is a solid book for football fans or budding football fans. While it might not address the components its title suggests, Kluck does walk readers through the season while providing a detailed history of the quarterback position in the NFL.

A few personal notes… First, I often expected to be reading about Tim Tebow whenever I picked up this book. I’m not quite sure if it was the color scheme on the cover, the general tone of the book, or the fairly generic treatment of the content. Second, I can’t believe that amidst the discussion of “running quarterbacks” or “quarterbacks who ran and threw” not once did Kluck draw any comparisons to John Elway, who is perhaps the most apt comparison. And finally, I particularly enjoyed the detailed coverage of the Atlanta Falcons game (in which RGIII left due to a concussion) because I was at that game. I’m pretty sure Kluck and I would get along well and enjoy watching and analyzing a game together.

- from TRudATmusic[dot]com[slash]raw (10/2013)

[Patton SIewert]

Ted Kluck did a great job on writing the biography about Robert Griffin III. Robert Griffin III: Football, Faith, and Leadership. The book talks about The life of Robert Griffin III, it shows how great of a person and athlete he was. It starts off by talking about his early life as a kid. The narrator says the Robert was pushed by his Father to succeed or else there would be consequences. His father made him do extreme workouts so that he would succeed and be one of the great quarterbacks. His father was in the army and he moved around a lot. His father finally retired from the military and they settled down in Copperas Cove, Texas. From there is were Robert started his football career.

When I read this book it was clear what the theme was. Ted Kluck theme for the book was that if you put in the work to be great, something great will come out of it. Robert put in the work to be great in every sport he played. He put in the work when he was running track, on the football field, and in the classroom. He wanted to be great in everything he did and he ended up being great. He was a state tract runner, a NFL superstar, and ended up getting a bachelor's degree with a 3.67 GPA.

I think the style of writing is narrative. The reader is given a great biography the follow one of the more successful quarterbacks that there is. Ted Kluck starts off with how Roberts life was as a kid and tells how much he moved while his father was in the military. From there he talks about his high school career was and how successful he was. After his high school career the story goes on to tell how good he was in college. It talks about how he was one of few quarterbacks to be able to have a really great arm and have the athleticism to be able to run the ball. His college career was a good one, he won he Alamo bowl and was a Heisman trophy winner. Next Ted Kluck talks about Roberts career in the NFL. He was the second pick in the 2012 NFL draft. He played on the Washington Redskins. He was one of the best rookie quarterbacks.

I really liked Robert Griffin III: Football, Faith, and Leadership. I thought Ted Kluck did a great job writing this biography. It told me a lot about Robert and how he grew up and what it was like in the NFL. I really liked how it compared him to over really good quarterbacks and explained how they were similar and different. I didn't like how it did't talk about his childhood as much as I thought it would. If I could change anything about thing about this it would be I wish they went more in depth about Roberts childhood. The book was similar to the book I read about the life of Ray Lewis.

[Gianni Conti]

I thought that this book was a really good book, really going into details of RGIII's football life and it went into deep detail on his above par personality. The main thing about this book that really hooked me was the fact that it wasn't a regular, boring biography. It didn't say Robert Griffin III was born in dadadada, and blablablabla, and it doesn't read his life off as a time line. Ted Kluck, the author, explains the important moments in his life that led him to the career he has today. he also talks about growing up in a military family for RGIII made him the man he is today. He explains on how RGIII worked harder and deserved the career he has today more than anyone else in the game does. Later in the book, he reveals comparisons to Mike Vick, Tebow, and many other running QB's in the NFL, and how many of the running QBs have become busts. While comparing, he points out each reason why many of those running style QBs were busts and how RGIII doesn't have those weaknesses. I strongly recommend this book for any fan of sports (especially football fans), sport players, and fact junkies, because this book is honestly a great read for everyone. The only reason I didn't rate this book at five stars because I was really upset that the book was only 200 pages long, because if it had been upwards of 300 words, it would of deserved the extra star.

[Mike Lewis]

Robert Griffin III Athlete, Leader, Believer by Ted Kluck is a book about an outstanding young NFL Quarterback and good upstanding young man who is trying to set an example of how to lead in a Christlike manner.

I was familiar with Ted Kluck from his work with Kevin DeYoung on Why We're Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be. I prefered DeYoung's chapters...you could really tell which ones were written by DeYoung and which ones written by Kluck. However, I am also familiar with Kluck's work at ESPN. As a sports writer, he is really good. I was really looking forward to reading this book that fit more with Kluck's strengths.

I was a bit disappointed. It really wasn't a book about Griffin's life. It was more about a play-by-play through his Rookie season (2012). While it was fun to relive his stellar season in D.C., I really wanted to read about his life and how it has affected how he leads and lives as a Christian in the NFL.

I would wait for this one at the Library rather than purchase a copy. I give it a 2.5/5.0 stars in terms of expectation vs. content. I thought the content standing on it's own was a 3.5/5.0. So overall I give it 3 stars out of 5.

*****
I received this book free from the Thomas Nelson Publisher's Booksneeze review program. I was not required to write a favorable review. I was only asked to be honest. The words are my own.

[Karin]

I’ve been a football fan for as long as I can remember. I’ve been a Christian even longer. When I had the chance to read about a Christian football player, I couldn’t wait. I was disappointed, however, in the content of this book.

With a title like Robert Griffin III: Athlete, Leader, Believer I expected to read a book about RG3. I thought the book would talk about his roles as an athlete, leader, and believer. I was wrong. While not badly written, this isn’t a book about RG3. It’s a book about the history of NFL drafted quarterbacks. There are sections in the book about RG3, but you could easily cut those and replace them with information about Andrew Luck without having to change more than 25 percent of the book.

With this title I expected an interview with Griffin, his parents, coaches, and teammates. I was looking for new insights into the man, but there’s no original information – just quotes from other sources – and very little of it focuses on the quarterback. If you’re looking for a history of NFL quarterback’s, this is a great book, but if you want info about Robert Griffin III, however, I would tune in to ESPN.

*I received a free copy of this book from Booksneeze in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.

[Armani Coleman]

I did like the book. Because it talked about how a career was built. And it talked about a quarterback I was pretty familiar with. It talked about one of many of quarterbacks with an incredible story. An example would be he grew up to be an NFL player which was influnced by his Dad. Many years of training his Dad put him through as young boy. Not like many other. This book would be strongly recommended to anyone who plays football, or is off to college to play football. I think it would give an idea on how your mindset should be when you’re on the field. The mindset you should have is to not want to give up. Always show your best. Meaning how you should approach a football career.

[Kelli]

This doesn't really feel like a biography. It wasn't even written by the athlete. As a girl, I found it kind of boring. Their wasn't much story, just a lot of filler paragraphs. I also felt like the topics where very scattered. It just did not hold my attention.

[Matthew]

Pretty good book to read especially as a Redskins fan however this year has disappointed but knowing the end of the season make the book loose some power, momentum and excitement. Really enjoy reading Ted Kluck.

[Don]

as created things, polished Texas HS football, pride always comes before the fall, anti-conservative espn, not race religion politics, faith is who I am, humility is key to faith and to acceptance, tuff times don’t last tuff people do.

[Layne]

basically a book about football in general touching occasionally on RG3. lots of time recapping football games and media reports. just commentary and speculation similar to a pregame show.

[Jenn M]

Just so-so. As other reviewers have pointed out, there was a little about RG3 specifically and a lot about other NFL players too, some contemporaries of Griffin and great names of the past.

[Wall-to-wall books - wendy]

Review coming