Colorado State University Athletics
For Griffin, influence works both ways on Rams' roster
8/12/2019 9:00:00 AM | Football
Military veteran pursues second chance at football
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – New to the team, Joshua Griffin didn't have to be brought up to speed.
As players are indoctrinated to Colorado State football, head coach Mike Bobo instructs them on the EDGE program, four lessons of life he wants his young men to exhibit. There is effort and dedication, gratitude and being excuse-free.
Griffin's life journey had instructed him on them all, through an upbringing of abuse, learning the cause and effect of decisions made in his youth, all the way through a decorated military career which led him to an elite Army division, one where he is still a standing member to this day.
Just the same way the 32-year old is now a member of the Rams, the oldest player on roster in college football. For each member of the team, a certain pillar of EDGE will carry more weight, and one has stood out to Griffin for a long time.
"The first is gratitude," he said. "Even on the hard days, find something you're thankful for. People need to understand, you wake up, you take showers in the sink. You eat with your hands. You forget all this china and silverware. It's the small things. I had to learn how to decompress, leave some of that behind. Now it's to the point where I want to get a chance to go the league, play special teams."
This isn't Griffin pursuing a new dream, this is him getting back to one put on hold long ago. He has a great relationship with his father, who was also in the military, but raised under the abusive hand of his mom. In essence, he said, his upbringing was as part of a cult. That realization didn't come until later, how abuse of every kind was used in a manner to get him and his younger siblings to conform.
He didn't. While he was a standout football and track athlete in high school, he was not a standout student. He also didn't have the financial means on his own to pursue the junior college route, nor the understanding of how to go about student loans.
Eventually, he found the Army.
He is still on active duty, going to school as part of the Green and Gold Program. As a member of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, also known as the Night Stalkers, a specialized helicopter unit, he explains he'd "visit" the United States between deployments. He could be called back to service at any time, but he said it would require a major escalation for that to happen.
He is proud of his continued service, but he also feels blessed to have football back in his life. More so, to have the players who surround him, as he's found they both need each other in their lives.
"I've learned a different verbiage," Griffin joked. "I know how to use Instagram now. One guy told me something, he was like bro, you go through every emotion every day. Maybe not so much for me, because I kind of know how to keep myself leveled for the most part, but I love these guys. They keep me upbeat, they keep me young. I can't say enough about these young people. If this is our next generation, we're in good hands, at least with these guys."
They also remind him of himself, which reminds him he should call his father and apologize.
He finds gratitude in how he came to Colorado State, because Fort Collins was not where he was headed. He was off to Southern Cal, a program he knew to be inviting to walk-ons. He had booked a place to stay and was headed out to seek a permanent residence.
Then his flight out of Denver was cancelled. So he went to Pueblo first. Not a chance. He decided to head north, where he just randomly called Tom Ehlers, the director of football operations.
Ehlers showed him around. He met Bobo and the staff. He was introduced to Brittany Pearce in admissions. All of them they welcomed him.
"It was God. All God," Griffin said. "I can't say it was an accident, it was meant to be. How can you explain it? Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong, I went to Pueblo and said heck no. Then God told me to keep going. I was already in downtown Denver, so I might as well make a day out of it.
"Who would take somebody around they don't know, that they didn't recruit."
It was rough at first, when he remembers it was the team over there, the coaches there and Griffin off to the side. There were still some hiccups with his old transcripts, which cut his spring practice short. The wall of divide started to come down as all parties began to open up.
But Bobo had been around him enough to make him the leader of an accountability team, the representative of the safeties room.
"The guys respect him a lot," Bobo said. "He loves the guys, and he went through a lot to get on this team, but he wasn't eligible to play at first, and the guys respect how he goes about his business and shares his story. And he mentors, guys. You know, he knows them on a personal level and encourages them."
Griffin told his younger teammates about his service, much of it which cannot go on the record. It's a way of sharing his life with them, and besides, he feels they need to understand the realities of today's world.
Much of it is new to them, and it gave Griffin an immediate way to connect with his new team, a starting point for conversations to expand into new areas.
"It's respect off the muscle," Tywan Francis said. "The first time meeting him, he served our country, so he already has my respect, because he fought for my freedom. That's admirable. Then once you get to know him as a person -- I know J-Griff -- that makes me respect him 10 times more knowing what he's about. I know the way he goes about life, about his values. That made us a lot closer."
The little things help. Some of them play a game, where when they sit down at a table, they are supposed to rub their head. If they don't, the others in the group are free to offer up a bit of a slap. It's silly, Griffin said, but it's important.
On campus for around year, he has opened up his house and his heart to his teammates. If a player needed a place to crash, his door was open. If they were struggling with an issue, they found he had a wonderful ability to listen, offering advice if requested. His shoulders can deliver a blow on the field, but they also absorb tears.
"He has a lot of discipline for sure with just that military background. He's taught us how to be prepared for anything, talking to us about life, outside stuff," said Logan Stewart, who stayed with Griffin for a period. "It really makes you appreciate him, the hard work he does. It pushes us as well. Seeing this guy serving our country, and then playing with him, that's awesome."
Naturally they repay him with terms of endearment. Old man, pops, granddad, uncle, senior citizen. All signs of respect, and all reasons for Griffin to push harder.
A grown man for sure, with a body hardened by tours overseas. But Griffin said a military body is built for power and to absorb abuse, but for football, he needed to be more agile. In Francis' eyes, Griffin showed up with a bit of a "gut", but a rock at 225. Now he's faster, even stronger and down to 195 pounds. Again, nothing but respect from the youngsters for the changes me made.
Don't discount the built-in challenge. None of them want to be outdone by the old man, who doesn't want to be shown up by the young guys.
"That's the one thing I can say I am fighting every day," Griffin said. "I am not your Rudy. I can actually play."
Which is what he's out to prove every day. He will turn 33 years old in October, and while he knows he's beyond the age of a prospect, he would still like to pursue a chance at the NFL. If that doesn't work, he still enjoys the military, and eventually, he'd like to pursue politics.
He and Josh Johnson ran for vice president and president, respectively, of the CSU student government last year. It was an unsuccessful bid, but Griffin is not one to give up.
He's a registered Republican from Texas, but his platform is one which would bridge party aisles. Actually, he's not a big fan of the current political climate, feeling common sense has left politicians for the most part. Bridging divides is his theme, no matter the topic of debate, which he's proven effective at on the football team.
Old and young doesn't matter, and his age doesn't mean he's the only one to teach lessons. Griffin says his experience around the "kids" has calmed him down.
"One thing I found out that better helps me connect with them is humility. Dequan Jackson, hell of a guy," Griffin said. "I run off the field, and I walk the last 3 feet. He grabbed me by the arm – 'hey, Josh, come here real quick.' He backed me up 3 feet and said, 'let's run off the field.'
"My bad bro. Thank you. He's a sophomore. Thank you."
Influence only works if there others are willing to follow. To his teammates, it's not simply what Griffin has done, or the stories he's shared. That wouldn't be enough.
It's been that willingness to apply his work ethic from his previous team to theirs. His ability to connect with a group of guys younger than him, and become one of them. He never showed up to stand alone, and at this point, they won't let him.
"It's a mindset with him. It's maturity," Francis said. "It's kinda hard to explain. His presence is felt; you can feel his presence. Any man on this team can vouch for him. It's not just football, it's outside of football. We do mature things. We just chill with J-Griff. He gives us knowledge, not just about football, but life in general and how all of these things translate to life."
Griffin remembers the day his name was called, he stepped forward and received his maroon beret representing his airborne unit. One day, he hopes to slide on the CSU helmet and step on the field, his ultimate goal for being here. It too, he said, would be a point of pride.
He believes he can play, yet he also carries a more personal purpose for his time with the Rams.
"Even if I don't see the field -- and believe me, I want to see the field," Griffin said. "If I'm given a chance, which I am, fine. If there's somebody, if I'm on an even playing field with them, then please, I'll bow to them, because they'll need it more than I do. I'm still an athlete, and I want to. If I can do anything, it's leave them here with a positive image of what a real man is."
As players are indoctrinated to Colorado State football, head coach Mike Bobo instructs them on the EDGE program, four lessons of life he wants his young men to exhibit. There is effort and dedication, gratitude and being excuse-free.
Griffin's life journey had instructed him on them all, through an upbringing of abuse, learning the cause and effect of decisions made in his youth, all the way through a decorated military career which led him to an elite Army division, one where he is still a standing member to this day.
Just the same way the 32-year old is now a member of the Rams, the oldest player on roster in college football. For each member of the team, a certain pillar of EDGE will carry more weight, and one has stood out to Griffin for a long time.
"The first is gratitude," he said. "Even on the hard days, find something you're thankful for. People need to understand, you wake up, you take showers in the sink. You eat with your hands. You forget all this china and silverware. It's the small things. I had to learn how to decompress, leave some of that behind. Now it's to the point where I want to get a chance to go the league, play special teams."
This isn't Griffin pursuing a new dream, this is him getting back to one put on hold long ago. He has a great relationship with his father, who was also in the military, but raised under the abusive hand of his mom. In essence, he said, his upbringing was as part of a cult. That realization didn't come until later, how abuse of every kind was used in a manner to get him and his younger siblings to conform.
He didn't. While he was a standout football and track athlete in high school, he was not a standout student. He also didn't have the financial means on his own to pursue the junior college route, nor the understanding of how to go about student loans.
Eventually, he found the Army.
He is still on active duty, going to school as part of the Green and Gold Program. As a member of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, also known as the Night Stalkers, a specialized helicopter unit, he explains he'd "visit" the United States between deployments. He could be called back to service at any time, but he said it would require a major escalation for that to happen.
He is proud of his continued service, but he also feels blessed to have football back in his life. More so, to have the players who surround him, as he's found they both need each other in their lives.
"I've learned a different verbiage," Griffin joked. "I know how to use Instagram now. One guy told me something, he was like bro, you go through every emotion every day. Maybe not so much for me, because I kind of know how to keep myself leveled for the most part, but I love these guys. They keep me upbeat, they keep me young. I can't say enough about these young people. If this is our next generation, we're in good hands, at least with these guys."
They also remind him of himself, which reminds him he should call his father and apologize.
He finds gratitude in how he came to Colorado State, because Fort Collins was not where he was headed. He was off to Southern Cal, a program he knew to be inviting to walk-ons. He had booked a place to stay and was headed out to seek a permanent residence.
Then his flight out of Denver was cancelled. So he went to Pueblo first. Not a chance. He decided to head north, where he just randomly called Tom Ehlers, the director of football operations.
Ehlers showed him around. He met Bobo and the staff. He was introduced to Brittany Pearce in admissions. All of them they welcomed him.
"It was God. All God," Griffin said. "I can't say it was an accident, it was meant to be. How can you explain it? Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong, I went to Pueblo and said heck no. Then God told me to keep going. I was already in downtown Denver, so I might as well make a day out of it.
"Who would take somebody around they don't know, that they didn't recruit."
It was rough at first, when he remembers it was the team over there, the coaches there and Griffin off to the side. There were still some hiccups with his old transcripts, which cut his spring practice short. The wall of divide started to come down as all parties began to open up.
But Bobo had been around him enough to make him the leader of an accountability team, the representative of the safeties room.
"The guys respect him a lot," Bobo said. "He loves the guys, and he went through a lot to get on this team, but he wasn't eligible to play at first, and the guys respect how he goes about his business and shares his story. And he mentors, guys. You know, he knows them on a personal level and encourages them."
Griffin told his younger teammates about his service, much of it which cannot go on the record. It's a way of sharing his life with them, and besides, he feels they need to understand the realities of today's world.
Much of it is new to them, and it gave Griffin an immediate way to connect with his new team, a starting point for conversations to expand into new areas.
"It's respect off the muscle," Tywan Francis said. "The first time meeting him, he served our country, so he already has my respect, because he fought for my freedom. That's admirable. Then once you get to know him as a person -- I know J-Griff -- that makes me respect him 10 times more knowing what he's about. I know the way he goes about life, about his values. That made us a lot closer."
The little things help. Some of them play a game, where when they sit down at a table, they are supposed to rub their head. If they don't, the others in the group are free to offer up a bit of a slap. It's silly, Griffin said, but it's important.
On campus for around year, he has opened up his house and his heart to his teammates. If a player needed a place to crash, his door was open. If they were struggling with an issue, they found he had a wonderful ability to listen, offering advice if requested. His shoulders can deliver a blow on the field, but they also absorb tears.
"He has a lot of discipline for sure with just that military background. He's taught us how to be prepared for anything, talking to us about life, outside stuff," said Logan Stewart, who stayed with Griffin for a period. "It really makes you appreciate him, the hard work he does. It pushes us as well. Seeing this guy serving our country, and then playing with him, that's awesome."
Naturally they repay him with terms of endearment. Old man, pops, granddad, uncle, senior citizen. All signs of respect, and all reasons for Griffin to push harder.
A grown man for sure, with a body hardened by tours overseas. But Griffin said a military body is built for power and to absorb abuse, but for football, he needed to be more agile. In Francis' eyes, Griffin showed up with a bit of a "gut", but a rock at 225. Now he's faster, even stronger and down to 195 pounds. Again, nothing but respect from the youngsters for the changes me made.
Don't discount the built-in challenge. None of them want to be outdone by the old man, who doesn't want to be shown up by the young guys.
"That's the one thing I can say I am fighting every day," Griffin said. "I am not your Rudy. I can actually play."
Which is what he's out to prove every day. He will turn 33 years old in October, and while he knows he's beyond the age of a prospect, he would still like to pursue a chance at the NFL. If that doesn't work, he still enjoys the military, and eventually, he'd like to pursue politics.
He and Josh Johnson ran for vice president and president, respectively, of the CSU student government last year. It was an unsuccessful bid, but Griffin is not one to give up.
He's a registered Republican from Texas, but his platform is one which would bridge party aisles. Actually, he's not a big fan of the current political climate, feeling common sense has left politicians for the most part. Bridging divides is his theme, no matter the topic of debate, which he's proven effective at on the football team.
Old and young doesn't matter, and his age doesn't mean he's the only one to teach lessons. Griffin says his experience around the "kids" has calmed him down.
"One thing I found out that better helps me connect with them is humility. Dequan Jackson, hell of a guy," Griffin said. "I run off the field, and I walk the last 3 feet. He grabbed me by the arm – 'hey, Josh, come here real quick.' He backed me up 3 feet and said, 'let's run off the field.'
"My bad bro. Thank you. He's a sophomore. Thank you."
Influence only works if there others are willing to follow. To his teammates, it's not simply what Griffin has done, or the stories he's shared. That wouldn't be enough.
It's been that willingness to apply his work ethic from his previous team to theirs. His ability to connect with a group of guys younger than him, and become one of them. He never showed up to stand alone, and at this point, they won't let him.
"It's a mindset with him. It's maturity," Francis said. "It's kinda hard to explain. His presence is felt; you can feel his presence. Any man on this team can vouch for him. It's not just football, it's outside of football. We do mature things. We just chill with J-Griff. He gives us knowledge, not just about football, but life in general and how all of these things translate to life."
Griffin remembers the day his name was called, he stepped forward and received his maroon beret representing his airborne unit. One day, he hopes to slide on the CSU helmet and step on the field, his ultimate goal for being here. It too, he said, would be a point of pride.
He believes he can play, yet he also carries a more personal purpose for his time with the Rams.
"Even if I don't see the field -- and believe me, I want to see the field," Griffin said. "If I'm given a chance, which I am, fine. If there's somebody, if I'm on an even playing field with them, then please, I'll bow to them, because they'll need it more than I do. I'm still an athlete, and I want to. If I can do anything, it's leave them here with a positive image of what a real man is."
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