Devout Christian QB Robert Griffin III Filing for Divorce From Wife of Three Years
Just three years after getting married and a year after he became a father, devout Christian and new Cleveland Browns starting quarterback Robert Griffin III is reportedly in the process of filing for divorce from his wife, Rebecca Liddicoat.
Citing a source in the NFL, Cleveland.com says Griffin informed his teammates and coaches of the divorce, noting that he and his wife have been separated for several months now. They got married on July 6, 2013, and their daughter, Reese Ann Griffin, was born last May.
Griffin, who was drafted by the Washington Redskins with the second pick of the 2012 NFL draft after he won the Heisman Trophy playing for the largest Baptist university in the world, Baylor University, was named the Browns' starting quarterback on Aug. 8 and made his debut Friday night against the Packers, according to Cleveland.com.
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During his time in the NFL, Griffin has been very outspoken about his faith.
On his Twitter account, he boldly declares: "I have no religion. I have a relationship with God. Live your life so it doesn't live you."
He also prominently highlights Jeremiah 29:11 which says: "'For I know the plans I have for you,'" declares the Lord, "'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"
Griffin's mother, Jackie, revealed to The Washington Post in 2013 that she also has a pregame tradition of sharing Scripture with him before each game.
"I wouldn't call it a ritual, but we do talk before the games," she said. "I also text him, and I always text him a scripture or something — whatever the Lord lays on my heart — to let him know that this is just another battle and you're gonna do this with God's help. And it works for us."
Sources tell Cleveland.com that despite the difficult time Griffin has been going through he has remained focused and dedicated to his job and has been getting support from friends and family.
"He's a natural leader and that's what you need from an intangibles standpoint," Joe Thomas noted recently to Cleveland.com. "Everyone knows how talented he is as an athlete and throwing the ball and the one thing that maybe guys didn't know about that have been really impressed with him so far is his work ethic, his intelligence, the way he prepares and he studies just like the great quarterbacks in the game right now."
Linebacker Nate Orchard, who has grown close to Griffin over the past few months, said: "To see him and where he's at now, and the swag he's got, it's fun, because that's what you want in a quarterback. You want him to be out there loose and enjoying himself, controlling that offense and you can see everyone gravitates towards him and they trust him and know he's going to do good things for us.''
Receiver Terrelle Pryor called Griffin "a family guy."
"He's chill. He's real relaxed. He Facetimes his daughter a lot,'' said Pryor. "He's a family guy. He's a teammate first, he's awesome.''
Griffin and Liddicoat, says cleveland.com, were introduced by a mutual friend at Baylor in 2009 and Griffin proposed in October of 2010 in the school's fieldhouse, following the Bears' 47-42 victory over Kansas State.
In March 2013, the couple, along with an unidentified background dancer, made a rap video to the song "Pop Rocks and Tootsie Pops" which can be viewed below.
