Robert Griffin III got a taste of the downside of fame Monday when a former Baylor basketball player's attempts to extort the Washington Redskins' rookie quarterback came to light.
Griffin told reporters at the NFL Rookie Symposium that he couldn't discuss the specifics of the case, in which the basketball player was arrested, but said the incident provided an example of the lessons taught to NFL rookies.
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"It's something I knew was coming, and when you hear those guys talk about stuff, 'Be careful, keep your circle real small,' " Griffin told NFL.com's Jeff Darlington. "All those things come back to you when you hear about stuff like this. You have to be careful with who you trust, and there's vultures out there, people who are looking to climb on top of all your money."
Darlington asked Griffin if it's difficult for an outgoing person like himself to worry about these kinds of things.
"There's a fine line between guarding yourself and being guarded," Griffin said. "I think I do a pretty good job of guarding myself, even with this situation; it's just something that's unfortunate that happened."
It's ironic that this news broke during the rookie symposium, seeing as it really is a perfect example of the type of challenges young NFL stars can face. Players like RG3 are given a huge spotlight that affords them fortune and fame. But it comes with an equally large target on their backs.