Wright State guard Kendall Griffin was ready for another season full of promise. After sitting out the final 10 games last year when he had his third concussion of the season, Griffin came out looking like his usual, spirited self last Friday in a game against Belmont.
And then with one collision, yet another season for Griffin was altered.
Griffin left last Friday’s game with another head injury; yet another blow to a head that has seen a few too many. The injury forced Griffin to finish the game from the locker room. He sat on the bench for Sunday’s game dressed more like an attorney than a basketball player.
Last month, Griffin said he felt that he and WSU’s training staff have taken all the proper precautions in avoiding any long-term health problems.
“It was frustrating but at the same time, basketball is not going to be with me the rest of my life so it was important for me to take all the precautions,” Griffin. “I wasn’t pushing it. It was scary to get three in one year.”
While WSU played its best basketball of the season last year with Griffin on the bench, it was still a frustrating time for Griffin, as he wanted to be part of his team’s run to the Horizon League title game.
“It was not that fun. We were winning so that part was fun to be part of that. Going to the Horizon League Championship was fun,” Griffin said. “But it would suck to watch us lose and feel like I could have contributed or even when we would win, I feel like I could have contributed.”
WSU head coach Billy Donlon acknowledged that the team was trying to bring Griffin back to game shape slowly.
“He was released to do contact a long time ago but we just kept him away from that,” Donlon said. “We didn’t think it was intelligent to have him do contact in the summer and early fall. I think for him, it will just be getting back with contact and dealing with things.”
Preparing for life after basketball
When Griffin’s time ends with Wright State’s basketball team later this season, he likely will not be going too far from the court. Griffin is planning on trading in his basketball uniform for a tailored suit as he ventures into the world of law school.
Griffin is planning on going to IUPUI’s law school in his home state of Indiana in 2015 after he completes his biomedical engineering degree at WSU. While it seems like a dramatic change, according to Griffin, many companies are looking for attorneys with scientific undergrad degrees to work in patent law. Work in patent law is quite lucrative and could lead to a six-figure salary for Griffin.
When Griffin came to WSU, he was not sure what he wanted to do. At first, he was looking for a pharmacy program. And then he decided on biomedical engineering. After four years of studying biology and medicine, Griffin will begin reviewing court cases and the constitution.
“I didn’t know what I was wanting to do so this kind of fell into my lap,” Griffin said. “I learned patent law requires an engineering undergrad.”
Griffin on defense
Perhaps Griffin should be a defense attorney rther than a patent attorney. The way Griffin plays, there might be a reason why he has taken a few blows in the head. Griffin is known as a tough defender and Donlon was looking forward to him guarding the opponent’s top guard.
Griffin, along with Matt Vest, created a tough defensive duo last season as the Raiders kept teams below their season average in scoring more often than not. With Vest graduated and playing overseas, the job of guarding the other team’s top guard was supposed to rest with Griffin.
“You have to remember before Matt Vest was All Defensive team, we had another guy that was his Batman to his Robin defensively who didn’t play the last 10 games of the season,” Donlon said.
Even with what happened last Friday, it is quite possible that Griffin will still be that tough-nose defender for the Raiders this season. But after four head injuries since the start of last season, it is possible the next time Griffin sees the court is in front of a judge.
