Robert Griffin III received another trophy Monday night, but two things set the pewter helmet apart from his past awards.
The quarterback's teammates were responsible for the votes, and the criteria was as much about his approach to the game as his performance.
Griffin III attended the 35th Annual Ed Block Courage Awards at Martin's West in Baltimore, where he was honored for courage and sportsmanship alongside representatives from every NFL franchise.
"This is one of the only awards that is voted on by your own teammates," Griffin III said. "That’s a huge honor.
"After the year that we had - how tough it was - this is kind of something that's letting me know they appreciate everything I've done."
The 2012 AP Offensive Rookie of the Year and 2011 Heisman Trophy winner started the first 13 games of the 2013 regular season after recovering from reconstructive knee surgery to repair ACL and LCL injuries he suffered in the NFC Wild Card Round against Seattle on Jan. 6, 2013.
By throwing for a career-high 3,203 yards last season, Griffin III became the fourth quarterback in club history to post back-to-back 3,000-yard passing campaigns.
Before receiving the award Monday night, he said he could not have completed his comeback without help from his parents, his wife, his teammates, Head Athletic Trainer Larry Hess, the training staff, the coaching staff and owner Daniel M. Snyder.
"You never get anywhere in life by yourself," Griffin III said. "All of those people have helped me to get where I am."
The signal-caller said as much as he appreciated the recognition from his teammates, he was even more humbled by well wishes from his competitors in attendance.
"When you have other players come to you and ... tell you that they think highly of you and see what the struggle that you've gone through, I think that speaks volumes," he said.
The award-winners used the spotlight in Baltimore to raise money for a host foundation dedicated to helping abused, neglected and at-risk children. Griffin III signed two No. 10 jerseys that would be auctioned off for $3,000 each.
A night to visit with fans and peers was a welcome respite from a period of intense training the quarterback began as soon as the regular season ended.
Griffin III said he has invited teammates to an upcoming passing camp in Arizona. He said the team needed a quiet offseason to unify, and everyone is excited about the new energy building around Jay Gruden.
"Any time you have a year like we had, or even if you have a great year, you can't wait to get back to work," Griffin III said.
"It's not just about the highs. It's not just about the lows. It's about making sure you're consistent with what you do."
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