Did Robert Griffin III nearly play for Texas football?

An interesting storyline came up for the Texas football program and former head coach (now with the North Carolina Tar Heels) Mack Brown this weekend. The idea that Texas tried to recruit the former Heisman Trophy winner and Baylor Bears star quarterback Robert Griffin III came about during an interview with him on KVUE in the last couple of days.

In this interview with KVUE heading into the weekend, Griffin mentioned that Brown actually offered him at midfield in 2008 after a loss to the Longhorns for Baylor. Griffin stated that “he actually offered me a scholarship on the spot, in the middle of the field after the game, to transfer to Texas”.

Of course, Griffin said that he wound up sticking with Baylor, where he would win the Heisman Trophy during the 2011 season. Griffin is still the lone Heisman Trophy winner in program history for the Bears.

Texas football HC Mack Brown reportedly offered Robert Griffin III postgame after a win over Baylor

That 2008 season was the first time that Griffin faced Texas as the Baylor quarterback. Although Griffin threw for less than 100 yards, along with one passing touchdown, and one pick, he was impressive on the ground for the Bears in that 2008 loss to Texas.

Griffin amassed just over 100 rushing yards and one rushing score in that convincing 45-21 win for the Longhorns over Baylor in 2008.

Moreover, Griffin did find more success against the Longhorns in the next two matchups with Baylor. Griffin and the Bears knocked off the Longhorns in 2010 and 2011. And in those two games, Griffin combined for around 600 total yards, four passing touchdowns, two picks, and three rushing scores.

Following a tremendous 2011 campaign, Griffin wound up getting picked up as the No. 2 overall pick by the Washington Commanders in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Injuries would wind up limiting Griffin with Washington, though. After winning the 2012 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, Griffin wasn’t the same once the knee injuries started piling up in Washington. He would spend a few seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and one with the Cleveland Browns throughout the 2010s. Griffin is now a free agent as of this offseason.

Griffin was one of those great Big 12 quarterbacks in the late 2000s and early 2010s that didn’t get an offer, or at least a major recruiting push, coming out of high school. Baylor took advantage of that as Griffin was a major factor that helped this program rise to national prominence in the early 2010s.