David Sheinin, a long-time Washington Post sports writer, has penned a new biography of the Washington Redskins’ star quarterback, Robert Griffin III, more commonly known as RG3. We asked Dave some questions about the book, sports writing, how he became a success in the business and why he isn’t an opera singer (no joke). You can find RG3 – The Promise at Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0399165452/ref=s9_simh_gw_p14_d4_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center2&pf_rd_r=16PQG511CZQ8Q4RR4BSB&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846

1) Dave — Where did you get the idea to write about RG3?

My boss, Washington Post sports editor Matt Vita, put me on the RG3 “beat” back in March 2012, shortly after the trade in which the Redskins moved up to the No. 2 pick in the draft — when it became clear they were going to pick Griffin. I immediately went to Texas to start meeting Griffin and his family. The book began to take shape in October, when it was clear Griffin was more than just another star athlete.

2)You are a Vandy graduate in English. Tell us how you got from there to becoming an award winning writer ?

I went to Vanderbilt on the Grantland Rice/Fred Russell sportswriting scholarship (which has also produced journalists such as Roy Blount Jr., Skip Bayless, Tyler Kepner and Lee Jenkins). I got a well-rounded liberal-arts education there, with a major in English and a minor in music. In my music studies, I trained for a time as an opera singer and toyed with the notion of pursuing it as a career — but by that point I was fairly far along in journalism. I’ve only had two full-time employers in the business: the Miami Herald from 1993-1999 and The Washington Post from 1999-present.

3)Your book ‘The Promise’ about RG 3 has been getting rave reviews – can you tell us anything you discovered about RG3 in writing it that totally surprised you?

Nothing about my reporting on Griffin has totally surprised me. In fact, it has all reinforced the opinions I had — which is in itself a surprise. Usually it’s the opposite — the more you delve into someone’s background and life story, the more it unravels. With Griffin, it was the opposite. The more I learned, the more impressed I became.

4) Are there lessons from RG3’s life, career that you think would be valuable to people seeking jobs in the business of sports?

It is difficult to apply specific lessons from Griffin’s life and career to folks seeking work in the business of sports, but the fundamental traits that have made him successful are worth repeating: hard work, personal discipline, strong parenting, etc. I also admire the way he pursued a wide variety of interests, including music, law and other sports (track and field, basketball) — rather than narrow his focus to only football.

5)During your years covering MLB – who were a few of your very favorite players? Managers? Owners? Why?

When I look back at my beat-writing career (roughly 1998-2004), my fondest memory by far will be covering the end of Cal Ripken Jr.’s career. In fact, now that I think about it, that may be the closest comparison I have ever witnessed to Griffin’s time in DC — in the sense of an entire community bonding to its superstar.

6) When you aren’t writing a book or churning out newspaper copy, what do you do? Has spending a lifetime covering sports affected the way you watch, enjoy the games?

I certainly have become more cynical and detached from sports as a fan over the years. In my younger years, I could still root openly from the teams of my youth (the Atlanta Braves, Hawks and Falcons), but now they’re all just another team. The only entity I still root passionately for is my alma mater, Vanderbilt. I do enjoy going to baseball games now that I’m not so deeply ingrained in that world.