Redskins Q&A: Robert Griffin III trying to make dad proud

Redskins QB Robert Griffin III grew up in Texas, but he wasn't a Cowboys fan. (US Presswire)

The Redskins won't receive much love when they play in Dallas Thursday, but Robert Griffin III surely will, having starred at nearby Baylor. Thursday marks Griffin's first trip as an NFL player to Dallas.

What are your thoughts on playing the Thanksgiving Day game in your home state?

Griffin: "It will be fun. I'll see a lot of familiar faces. I have a lot of fans down there who got to see me grow up in Copperas Cove, Texas. They go to college at Baylor, so it will definitely be a good homecoming, more so of a homecoming than New Orleans was. Certainly looking forward to having fun, but we're going there with one goal in mind and that's to win."

Did you used to watch the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day while growing up?

Griffin: "I think a lot of people who are football fans watch football on Thanksgiving. The Cowboys are usually always on, so you always have a chance to see them go out there. I had a friend who was a Cowboys fan and I was a Broncos fan, so the one year the Broncos beat the Cowboys, I had bragging rights."

Who will your friends be rooting for on Thursday?

Griffin: "They told me that they would be cheering for me, but they still want their guys to win. I guess I can accept that. We still have to go out and get the victory."

What about the difficulty of having a short week? Do you have to dumb down the playbook?

Griffin: "You have to game plan. The game plan is not going to be dumbed down because you have a short week. Coaches have things that they want to run. They put a lot of time and effort into watching film. As players, we have to make sure we take advantage of the little bit of time we do have to master the system that they're putting in this week. That's probably the toughest part. It's just a quick turnaround. Guys get beat up on Sundays and put it all on the line and then get back out on there on Thursday with not very much rest. We'll see how tough our football team is."

How does your body feel?

Griffin: "I feel fine. We didn't have very many plays in the first half, so I took most of my hits in the second half. I didn't have any clear shot or brutal hits, so that was good. Like I told the team, I have to protect myself better and I have been. I feel actually really good and ready to go."

What effect does Pierre Garçon have on the offense?

Griffin: "Pierre brings an attitude to the game. He's going to talk. He's going to play hard. He's going to block. He's going to let you know that he's out there, whether it's me or the defense. It's just that attitude that he brings to the other receivers on the field. That's what you can feel the most. He looked really good on film. Based on what we saw, he ran great routes. He was open most of the time. We'll look to get it to him."

What does it mean to make your father proud?

Griffin: "It's paramount to me. I didn't even know what that word meant until he taught it to me a few years ago. It's really important. He was there for me. He sacrificed so much for me, so I want to make sure I make him proud. Everything I do, I try to think what my parents would think if they were sitting right there watching. Whenever I come off of the field after a game-win, loss or draw, which I haven't had any of those and don't want any of those-he gives me his criticism or praise. There are some games that we lose the game and I think he's going to tear me apart and he doesn't tear me up. There are some games like the last one where you go 14 of 15 and he's chewing you out, and you're like, ‘Come on, Dad.' I appreciate it and he knows that. He'll keep it coming and you never know what you're going to get out of him."

What did he knock you for after last week's game?

Griffin: "I thought I protected myself pretty well, but he mainly pointed to the play when [Eagles defensive end Jason] Babin got me on my side and my legs got messed up a little bit. He told me I can't do that. I said ‘I know, I know, Dad.' [laughter] Just little things, not holding the ball up when you scramble, he just makes sure he sticks those points because sometimes out here the coaches are so focused on other things that they might miss a minor detail and he definitely brings it up."

Is he a tougher critic than the coaches?

Griffin: "No, not at all. Kyle [Shanahan] and them are tough on me, pretty tough. My dad has always been tough on me no matter what sport it was. It's give and take."

John Keim covers the Redskins for the Washington Examiner. Follow him on Twitter @CBSRedskins or @John_Keim.