Quentin Griffin

[SoonerForever]

found this on wiki...(Q being my favorite Sooner)...tell me it isn't true....http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quentin_Griffin

[instigator]

I can't imagine Q ever quitting anything. He was Jaquizz Rodgers before he was. Still one of my all time favorite Sooners.

[adoniijahsooner]

According to media reports, Roughriders' head coach Ken Miller was "so upset with Griffin following (the game) that he cut the former NFLer at the airport." Griffen had reportedly "pulled himself out of the game early in the second quarter, telling the coaches 'he didn't have any interest in playing a preseason game where he might get hurt'."[1]

I would be sick to my stomach if this is true.

[PDXsooner]

"If" it's true? Sounds true to me. Too bad, I always liked Q.

[badger]

For all the accolades and stats Q had, he didn't have the numbers that most NFL personnel look at. He was short and he wasn't as large as some supposedly more reliable and stable backs. When you're tossing around millions of dollars like the NFL does to its players, you'd rather go with the standard accepted-sized backs than the abnormal-sized ones. That way, when something goes wrong, you can't be blamed for it.

Being in the Canadian Football League would be depressing to anyone who isn't Canadian. They make a fraction of what NFL players do (even NFL practice squad players make more than CFL regular roster players do when you figure in the exchange rate). Q was probably homesick, discouraged that his NFL dreams were fading and nobody was giving him a chance to prove himself back near his home.

If that wasn't the case, it might have also been his agent talking, not him.

[BoomerSooner, esq.]

Of course its true, its Wikipedia

[badger]

Of course its true, its Wikipedia

They cited an actual article that said the same thing.

For the record, the average salary in the CFL is $50,000 (Canadian). The salary cap is between $4 million and $5 million... I think native Canadians make even less than imports (but a certain percentage of Canadian players must be on each roster). Practice squadders make a few hundred per week I think.

Players like Q are the reason why I wish more professional football leagues would succeed... of course, success comes from support and I'm sure not many people here watched the XFL (I stayed with it for about five weeks) nor bought season tickets to the new "Team Texas" before that league sunk. Not sure how the CFL is faring, but I'm sure you've all heard by now that the Arena Football League is probably going to dog this upcoming season. Thus, it's the NFL or Canada for football playing opportunities. Even NFL Europe is gone.

There are far too many great football players for them all to get turned loose like this. When will potential owners and fans step up and support a second league for players like Q to want to continue playing?

[RedstickSooner]

This seems like some sorta bizarre-o world story: Q doesn't work hard enough for the CFL, and Ricky Williams does just fine aside from injuries.

I blame Canada.

[GottaHavePride]

"According to media reports"?

Here's about the only "media report" on it that I can find:


The Grey Cup-champion Saskatchewan Roughriders released 20 players on Saturday, including former NFL running back Quentin Griffin and veteran defensive back Tad Kornegay

And regarding the game they cite - from reports I saw their coach was playing 2nd and 3rd stringers for 3/4 of the game and was baffled that the opposing team was throwing deep trying to win a preseason game.

Call me highly doubtful of Wikipedia information not backed up by ANY sources I can locate.

[GottaHavePride]

That article linked by Wikipedia even says "according to a source".

I mean, it COULD be true - for such a good college player he's had a pretty depressing pro career - but I'm still not seeing any direct quotes from ANYONE on the situation.

[IronSoonerMan]

This was in a link at the bottom of wiki.

Running back Quentin Griffin didn't have to wait long to find out he won't be with the Riders this season. According to a source, Miller was so upset with Griffin following Thursday's game in Edmonton that he cut the former NFLer at the airport. Griffen had reportedly pulled himself out of the game early in the second quarter, telling the coaches "he didn't have any interest in playing a preseason game where he might get hurt."

The Riders dressed just three running backs for the game: Griffin, Foord and veteran fullback Chris Szarka.

Griffin's departure currently leaves veteran Henri Childs as the No. 2 tailback behind starter Wes Cates. Non-imports Neal Hughes and Foord can also back up at the position.

[email protected]

[GottaHavePride]

Yeah, I saw that. "According to a source" and "Reportedly" are journalist-speak for "I heard this from some guy in a bar, but it makes my article more interesting". ;)

[badger]

I don't think you need to direct quote here - the facts are hard to dispute if Q indeed did not return to the game after the second quarter and got cut right after the game.

I know that Q was the unselfish hero and leader of the Sooners... but that was back in 2003, his final game, on Jan. 1. A lot can change in six years (well, almost six). I'm sure he had dreams of being more unselfish after leaving OU, being able to start multi-million dollar foundations for underprivileged children, giving family and friends whatever they wanted and being an unselfish hero and leader on a new NFL team in a new NFL city.

It didn't happen - he got injured, pushed to the bottom of depth charts and ousted unceremoniously. When he tried out for new teams, he didn't last long. When he led an NFL Europe team in rushing, it wasn't a permanent home for him, because the NFL Europe folded.

Now here he is, in Nowhere, Canada, being told to risk his livelihood for a game that doesn't even count, which nobody who gives a d@mn about him is watching, because he's thousands of miles from home, all for a chance to make minimum wage in Canadian dollars?

Poor Q. :(

[Sooner04]

I have a hard time feeling bad for anyone getting paid to play football. If you're afraid of getting hurt, go get a real job. If you tear up the CFL there's a spot for you in the NFL. Granville Liggins had no problem paying his dues up there. Why should Quentin be any better?

$50,000 is a lot better than $00,000.

[ratedrsuperstar]

I would be sick to my stomach if this is true.

You need to go hug a toilet,sounds like the fellow quit on his team.

He was a great sooner who ended up being well below par as a pro.

[MamaMia]

Yeah, I saw that. "According to a source" and "Reportedly" are journalist-speak for "I heard this from some guy in a bar, but it makes my article more interesting". ;)
Google is your friend.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/sports/roughriders/story.html?id=f104d500-2b1d-4ae2-b193-9a4c5f1087b3

http://www.saskriders.com/

http://www.saskriders.com/team/roster/?order_by=position

[bringit]

I choose to remember the azz-rapin' he gave the horns. Not many players of his stature are successful in the pros.

[GottaHavePride]

Google is your friend.

http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/sports/roughriders/story.html?id=f104d500-2b1d-4ae2-b193-9a4c5f1087b3

http://www.saskriders.com/

http://www.saskriders.com/team/roster/?order_by=position

I tried Google, thanks. The last two links just show that Q is no longer on their roster, which we already know.

The first one is, indeed, a different article than the other one I was able to find that mentions the situation. However, it offers no different information. It just says the coach was displeased and cut him in the airport after the game.

However, it STILL isn't attributed to a source. Was the writer of the article standing there watching it happen? You'd think they would have recorded a couple of sound bites, or noted what was said. Without that, it's hearsay.

Another factor: the game was on June 20th. CFL deadline to make roster cuts was June 21st, so that team cut about 20 people right following that game.

Not having watched the game, I couldn't tell you if Q actually "took himself out" or if he just wasn't effective. Either way, I would expect a coach to be "disapleased with his performance".

I just don't think there's enough evidence from reliable sources to know what really happened. (And no, I don't consider a random journalist typing a sentence with no verification to be a reliable source.)

[ratedrsuperstar]

Another factor: the game was on June 20th. CFL deadline to make roster cuts was June 21st, so that team cut about 20 people right following that game.
I just don't think there's enough evidence from reliable sources to know what really happened. (And no, I don't consider a random journalist typing a sentence with no verification to be a reliable source.)


How many of those 20 were cut at the airport ?

Don't try to make excuses for him because he is a former sooner, he quit on his team according to all reports and what gives him the right to think he is better than playing in the preseason ? I guess he can get himself a normal job now because there can't be many more chances for him to play as a professional.

[PDXsooner]

Of course its true, its Wikipedia

They cite the source, which you can click on. It leads you to the local newspaper.

[TXBOOMER]

Q was the man at OU. F the cfl.

[Toronto Sooner]

Antonio Perkins was on the Toronto Argos pre-season roster, but didn't make the final cut. I don't know the details of his situation though.

The CFL is a different game from the NFL. It's 3 down football, with a wider, and longer, field. It often requires different types of players, and sometimes different size players. Quite often players from low profile/tiny US schools do just as well or better than players from the prominent US schools. In addition, there is no guarantee that a star player from NFL automatically does well in the CFL, due to it being a different game. For example, IMO, Ricky Williams was just average at best (prior to his injury), Rocket Ismail was just alright (great punt returner, but below average receiver in the CFL), and Andre Rison was simply just brutal. I don't remember it well but I have read that Vince Ferragamo struggled to adjust to the CFL game, before moving to the NFL and leading the Rams to a Super Bowl loss to the Steelers. The late (great) David Overstreet had 1 decent season and 1 injury filled season in the CFL prior to joining the Miami Dolphins, and sadly passed away a year or so later (before having the chance to show his immense talent to the NFL world). On the flipside, these (mainly) undersized sized quarterbacks (Doug Flutie, Jeff Garcia, Joe Theismann, Warren Moon) all had great careers in both the CFL and NFL. As a side note, J.C. Watts showed that he was more than a wishbone qb furing his 6 years in the CFL.

I think the CFL has been around for more than 100 years so it's probably not gonig away any time soon. The league is doing extremely well right now, financially, popularity, tv ratings, game attendance and otherwise - perhaps the best in a couple of decades. The league currently has only 8 teams. Ottawa will probably join again at some point, which will make it 9 teams. The main issue with the league relates to growth. There are not enough decent size cities in the country. They might eventually be able to go into London (ON), Halifax (NS) and Quebec City, but the size will be a challenge.

The CFL did give it a quick go in the US back in the 90's, but it was a failure. The concept of moving into non-pro cities in the US was a good one, but the planning and execution was flawed, thus the failure. They could put together a more solid business plan for the US market and try this again at some point down the road. They will not go back into the US anytime soon though, as they want to expand in Canada first. The current people running the league seem to be smarter. Their top priority has been to ensure that all (current) 8 teams achieves success, which is currently the case (prior to even discussing expansion).

As a side note, the original expansion into the US wasn't a total failure. The Baltimore Stallions franchise was a huge success. Unfortunately, Baltimore had to give up the franchise once they got the Ravens. Many people in Baltimore are still upset about losing the Stallions - they loved the CFL style of play.

[Scott D]

Well it's not like football has been good on the guy since he blew out his knee for Denver.

[OUAlumni1990]

I saw Q at the opening game this year (the one where everyone got rained on, heh). Sat 2 rows in front of me near the south end zone.

[SCOUT]

I have no idea if the original story is true or not. i will just say that if someone told me that they read a negative story about Q and to guess what the subject was, I this would not be in my top 5 guesses. He was the consummate professional in everything he did. Remember him standing on the sidelines with the coaches asking if he wanted to go back in for the all time rushing record at OU? I do. He declined.

With that said, I can understand an athlete who had John Madden asking for tissues during a Monday night performance one week and unemployed shortly thereafter being concerned with injury. My guess is that reality is smack in the middle. The coach asked him to continue to play and Q voiced concern. They needed to trim the roster anyway and Q's comments made the final decisions just a little bit easier.

IMO of course.

[opksooner]

Does anyone know what he's doing now?

[cccasooner2]

...However, it STILL isn't attributed to a source. Was the writer of the article standing there watching it happen? You'd think they would have recorded a couple of sound bites, or noted what was said. Without that, it's hearsay. ...


Did the writer take any DNA? Seems the author got pretty sloppy in his investigation.

[oumartin]

Does anyone know what he's doing now?
last I knew he was working for jason white

[8timechamps]

Well it's not like football has been good on the guy since he blew out his knee for Denver.

Q would have been the MJD of the NFL (before MJD was in the NFL) had it not been for his injury. He seemed to have solved a fumble problem that plauged him early in the season, and looked like he was going to be the Broncos' starting TB for a while. It was fun while it lasted.

[Eielson]

Wait? You're all freaking out about him not wanting to play more than a quarter of a preseason game? You guys are being ridiculous.

[BoulderSooner79]

Wait? You're all freaking out about him not wanting to play more than a quarter of a preseason game? You guys are being ridiculous.

^This. If true, sounds like he was through with football - what's the big deal with that? Certainly didn't sound like he had a path back to the NFL by then.

[King Crimson]

Q would have been the MJD of the NFL (before MJD was in the NFL) had it not been for his injury. He seemed to have solved a fumble problem that plauged him early in the season, and looked like he was going to be the Broncos' starting TB for a while. It was fun while it lasted.

yup. Shanahan really liked Q.

[ashley]

Everyone comes to a point where thay have had enough.

[StoopTroup]

Everyone comes to a point where thay have had enough.

That is probably what makes the statement true and if you've been in the NFL and end up playing in the CFL and some dip**** Coach is trying to use you as meat in some Pre-Season Game instead of use you to win regular Season Games....

You'd probably be better saving your health and maybe looking for a job Coaching in the CFL and then stomping you old franchise into the ground. Then use that to get a job in the NFL or College Coaching.

I can't blame anyone for walking away from a situation where someone is going to use you to win useless Games if half the Team is playing for a case of Molson and a nice post game meal at the Owner's Restaurant.

[olevetonahill]

Ima Call BS, Wasnt that same **** reported about some one else just a Month er soi ago?

[OkieThunderLion]

Little guys can make it big in the NFL but he simply wasn't as explosive as those guys. Especially after knee.

[OkieThunderLion]

Does anyone know what he's doing now?
I saw him back in Norman about 2 or 3 years ago. He was finishing up with degree.

[BoulderSooner79]

How many of those 20 were cut at the airport ?

Don't try to make excuses for him because he is a former sooner, he quit on his team according to all reports and what gives him the right to think he is better than playing in the preseason ? I guess he can get himself a normal job now because there can't be many more chances for him to play as a professional.

You're way over rated, oh so self righteous one. We don't know the story and haven't heard from Q - there's *always* 2 sides. But even if it is all true, a player deciding he's had enough in pre-season before roster cuts is the right time to do it. I guarantee the other players didn't see him "quitting on the team". They saw it as 1 more chance that they might not get cut themselves. And this has nothing to do with where he played college ball.

And he was a very promising player for the Broncos, FYI. He's not the first player that effectively ended his career with knee surgery and he won't be the last. But it wasn't for lack of talent and certainly not for lack of character.

[BetterSoonerThanLater]

i get the feeling some of you who commented in this thread in the last day or so, didn't notice the date of the original post......

[cccasooner2]

i get the feeling some of you who commented in this thread in the last day or so, didn't notice the date of the original post......

Now that you mentioned it, no, not the year, just the month. :D

[Sooner70]

BoulderSooner79 is right on. There's got to be another side to this story, and my guess is Q had a good reason for bowing out. It's all speculation, but it coulda been a number of things. Old injury acting up, didn't feel right, or something else. This guy played his heart out at OU, and I cannot imagine him bowing out for no good reason.

[BigJerm7]

That's so 4 years ago.

[sooneron]

Bagging on Q for not wanting to go back in during a pre-season CFL game = high comedy.