ALMETA DAVIS, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
ard410@verizon.net

RICHMOND—On Thursday, July 25, the Washington Redskins held the first training camp session of the 2013 season, and the first ever at the Bon Secours Washington Redskins Training Center in Richmond.

For many of the fans it was also the first time seeing quarterback Robert Griffin III (RG3) take the field with his teammates since the Wild Card game against the Seattle Seahawks, where he reinjured his knee.

As with any athlete who makes it to the level of RG3, reinjuring his knee and bouncing back ahead of scheduled rehabilitation, there had to have been a support system.

On Saturday, Aug. 4, at the Washington Redskins Fan Appreciation Day, there was one such supporter who has been there from the beginning, his mother Jacqueline “Jackie” Marie Griffin.

Griffin, mother of three, is a retired Army sergeant and communicator.

“I never missed a practice or a game starting with junior high, and up through most of his college playing time I was always there cheering him on,” Griffin said. “I always knew that Robert had a special faith-based anointing upon him. He was a dreamer and we always encouraged our children to follow their dreams.”

“Very early in our marriage my husband and I decided that once we had children our focus would change from us to them; we would dedicate ourselves to parenting. No matter what their interests were, we were always there to encourage them win or lose.”

Both Griffin and her husband were active military non-commissioned officers determined to challenge their children to pursue greatness, and two of the three Griffin children were awarded athletic scholarships to Baylor University and Northwestern State University. In the Griffin household, faith development was essential; education was for their empowerment followed by other pursuits.

“Life in the Army provided us with a unique environment as a family to grow.”

They were assigned to Fort Carson, Colo.; Okinawa, Japan; Fort Lewis, Wash.; New Orleans, La.; Seoul, Korea; and Fort Hood, Texas.

“We experienced different cultures and dynamics of living conditions of a mobile military family. Robert and I focused on the opportunities of the regions. “

While assigned to Fort Lewis, the family could often be found visiting Mount St. Helens, walking the trails, climbing the snow-covered slopes of Mount Rainier or ice-skating in Portland, Ore.

“Robert and I ensured that our children appreciated the land in which we took an oath to defend.”

It was at their final assignment at Fort Hood that Jacqueline and her husband were able to finish their college degrees, setting precedence in challenging their children to attain higher education aspirations.

Today, when not traveling to speak, Jacqueline is actively involved in the lives of community youth, ages 3 to 18. She serves as administrator for the AAU Five Hills Track and Field Team led by her husband, Head Coach Robert Griffin II.

In the spirit of family unity RG3 had the added support of his wife, father, maternal grandmother, his two sisters, an uncle and his niece, who were also present on Saturday. Add to that the thousands of RG3 fans that also waited until the close of the practice to get his autograph.