Griffin ready to take on Brinkley

BY MIKE HOUSER

Appeal Sports Writer

Otis Griffin describes himself as a simple man, just being a good steward with what the Lord has given him.

Griffin grew up in Troy, Ala., where his parents, who are both ministers, raised him as a Southern Baptist.

Now living in Sacramento, the 30-year-old Griffin, who will face Yerington's Jesse Brinkley Feb. 22 at the Grande Exposition Ballroom in the Silver Legacy Resort Casino, holds down what he calls a blue-collar job - he is a correctional officer at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville Prison.

"It has its ups and downs," Griffin said of overseeing all ranges of convicts, including some who are criminally insane ("J-Cats"), in the Level-3 facility, the second-highest security classification in the California Penal System. "It's a good, honest living. I have two of the most dangerous jobs in the world - boxing and working behind the wall."

And along with Shana, his wife of nearly 10 years, he also takes care of his three children. His 10-year-old son, Donovan, is the oldest, followed by daughters Liberty (seven) and Grace (one).

Alas, simple doesn't mean nondescript. Like the 31-year-old Brinkley, Griffin rose to international prominence on a reality boxing show. Whereas Brinkley, 29-5 with 20 knockouts, was a contestant on the NBC's "The Contender," Griffin, now 18-2-2 (7), won the championship on Oscar De La Hoya's "The Next Great Champ," which aired on Fox and, following its cancellation after four episodes, Fox Sports Network.

Both shows were filmed in 2004 and aired in 2005.

Winning the championship was a huge coup for Griffin, who had only nine amateur fights and made his professional debut on the show. He fought five times in two weeks, avenging a defeat to Jimmy Mince and overcoming a draw along the way with Mohamed Elmaboud before beating David Pareja for the crown.

"Anytime you can be on primetime television for eight or nine weeks, it can do great things for your career," Griffin said. "It put a bull's-eye on my head. It also gave me a chance to work for Golden Boy Promotions, to be a polished, professional fighter."

The show also gave the deeply religious Griffin an opportunity to prove his faith before a worldwide audience. His older brother, Andre Lavon Griffin, died in his sleep on April 20, 2004, less than three months before Otis' first bout on "The Next Great Champ."

Andre was 33.

"He just didn't wake up one day," Otis said of Andre. "It helped me re-evaluate my life as a Christian. He was a guy who never complained and always had a smile on his face. He was one of those (special) people...it was unfair for him to continue in this world in which we lived. The Lord called him home.

"It was tough, but I feel like my memory of him and everything he wanted for me got me through it."

The show - and the media attention around it - drew Griffin a bit of unfounded negative attention regarding his nickname, "Triple OG," which as it turns out has nothing whatsoever to do with the street slang term "original gangsta."

"The media was saying I was portraying a thug image and that (viewers) couldn't believe Fox highlighted me," Griffin said. "(Fox) said, what are you talking about? This guy is a peace officer, a blue-collar worker and a Christian."

"Triple OG" signifies several things for Griffin, not the least of which has to due with his lineage. His great grandfather, Lem Griffin, was a slave in Troy, and his great grandson's full name is Otis Griffin III - triple OG - who is three generations removed from slavery.

"We're one of the biggest African-American families in the nation," Griffin said proudly. "It's an honor and a legacy."

"Triple OG" also represents the Holy Trinity - the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, as in "Of God, of three."

Now Griffin, who is coming off a three-round knockout loss to Danny Green in a WBA light heavyweight title eliminator in Australia (Green went on to win the WBA belt, defeating Stipe Andrews), has another chance at earning a belt.

Griffin is ranked No. 15 in the world at 175 pounds by the IBF and against Brinkley will compete for the vacant WBC United States National Boxing Championship title in the super middleweight division.

Promoter Terry Lane said Tuesday that even though the bout was originally scheduled for 10 rounds, both Griffin and Brinkley successfully requested that the bout be changed to 12 rounds to give the belt legitimacy.

Griffin said he has been reading where Brinkley has been taking exception to Griffin's purported claims that he was going to knock him out.

"I e-mailed the Lanes and said I'm willing to fight any guys you've got up on the hill," Griffin said. "I heard they had Brinkley, so I said, 'When you get ready for me to put Jesse to sleep, give me a call.'

"I have nothing personal with Jesse as a guy. He's a charismatic person. I read where he thinks I've got a vendetta. But if you compare our careers, I won all this money, I'm in the top 15, and I was one fight away from a world title (shot). Why would I have a vendetta against him?"

Griffin, who played as a defensive back in both the Arena League and Arena2, said he chose to fight Brinkley for a couple of reasons, one of which is that he puts him in the same category as top super middleweights such as Jeff Lacy, Lucian Bute, Peter Manfredo Jr. and world champion Joe Calzaghe.

The other is Griffin feels the winner will have West Coast bragging rights as the best super middleweight.

"All over the West Coast, if you dissect it, there aren't two bigger names in the whole (area) - from Vegas over - as far as super middleweights," he said.

Griffin, who has never fought below the light heavyweight division, said making 168 pounds will be no trouble.

"I'm already 173, 172," he said. "I'm going to be fine. My average weight is '72, '73 anyway. I'm one of those guys with a big frame who will be able to get down."

At 6-foot-1, Griffin is three inches taller than Brinkley. He also boast a 76-inch reach and plenty of confidence.

"I'm just a real physical guy. I'm big," he said. "I'm coming down from the light heavyweight division. I've got good power in both hands. I'm one of the best-conditioned athletes in the world in my sport.

"I really think it's a fight everyone in the area will want to see. I don't know about (Brinkley), but I don't want to fight some walkover. People in Reno think he's the best in the world. I think I'm the best in the world. I respect him as an opponent. I'm ready to rumble."

Tickets are $30, $75 and $150 and are available by calling the Silver Legacy box office at (800) 687-8733 or by logging on to www.ticketmaster.com. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the first of the six scheduled bouts beginning at 7.