The pose. The people. The 2012 phenomenon.
THE ORIGINAL FAN PHOTO CRAZEEST. 2012
GRIFFINING ARCHIVE

About the Griffining Archive

Original #GRIFFINING promotional image showing RG3 seated with both arms raised
Original #GRIFFINING artwork from the site’s 2012 collection.

Griffining.com began as a gallery of fan recreations of an iconic 2012 football image. The pose came from Robert Griffin III’s first NFL touchdown pass: an 88-yard completion to Pierre Garçon against New Orleans on September 9, 2012. Fans sat on the ground with their arms raised and shared the results across the web.

Why restore the site?

Old internet photo trends are easy to forget. The original archive captured a joyful and unusually specific cultural moment: athletes, children, families, and ordinary fans joining in on the same joke. The goal of this restoration is to preserve the original submissions, design details, and period context where possible. We have also transcribed 63 identifiable entries from a user-supplied recording of a September 2013 Internet Archive snapshot, including historic dates and captions that can now be restored to surviving photographs.

Our restoration standards

  • Historical accuracy: Retain original captions, dates, and contributor names wherever verifiable.
  • Image provenance: Use original image files or confirmed archival copies; don’t pass off unrelated photos as original submissions.
  • Transparency: Identify restored or missing material, and clearly label modern editorial explanations.
  • Rights and privacy: Respect rights holders and respond appropriately to legitimate requests about attribution or images.

Independence

This is an independently maintained historical fan archive. It is not an official Robert Griffin III, NFL, or team website.

Historical evidence

See our dated source directory for contemporary 2012 articles, the Baylor student newspaper, and an archived snapshot of the original site. The preserved Griffining logos and artwork document the earlier site’s visual identity.

Original archive

View a December 2012 snapshot of Griffining.com.