Robert Griffin III has said that his father meant "no harm" when he visited the Washington Redskins locker room post-game on Monday night.
Following a defeat to the San Francisco 49ers in which Griffin was hit on a number of occasions, his dad came to see him to check on his health.
The appearance has been questioned by a number of sources in recent days, with many believing nobody but team members should enter the team's quarters.
On Wednesday, Griffin told reporters: "I was shocked that he was there, but he meant no harm, and anybody out there that's going after my dad needs to back up. That is my father.
"I will protect my family, and he served 21 years in the military. I know that's not an excuse for anything that he does, but he's not overstepping any bounds, so I hope that people will respect that and back off.
"He asked me if I was OK, and I said, 'Yeah, I'm all right'. Me and him just talked and then that's it. He wanted to do his fatherly duties and step in there and see if I was OK. That's all I can say."
The Redskins are bottom of the NFC East, and are very unlikely to repeat their playoff heroics of last season.
Joe McPhee
