Shaquem Griffin Didn't Let His Arm Stop Him

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Shaquem Alphonso Griffin (born July 20, 1995) is an American football linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He is the twin brother of Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin, and both brothers played college football for the University of Central Florida Knights. As an amputee with one hand, Shaquem Griffin received extensive media coverage as a prospective 2018 NFL Draft pick. He was selected as a fifth round pick (141st overall) by the Seahawks on April 28, 2018, reuniting him with Shaquill.



Shaquem Griffin was born to Terry and Tangie Griffin on April 20, 1995, less than two minutes after Shaquill. Shaquem was born with amniotic band syndrome affecting his left hand, causing his fingers on his left hand not to fully develop. At age four, his mother found him in the kitchen, attempting to use a butcher's knife to amputate his own hand because of the pain. His parents scheduled an amputation the next day. Still, Griffin was able to continue playing sports without his left hand, competing in track, baseball, and football alongside his brother.


Shaquem and his brother Shaquill were both offered football scholarships at the University of Central Florida (UCF) by then-coach George O'Leary, with Shaquill rejecting offers from other teams including the Miami Hurricanes, his dream team, to play with Shaquem. Griffin spent his whole college career at UCF, totaling 17 sacks and 30 tackles for a loss. Notable plays also include an interception versus the Temple Owls and a fumble recovery for a touchdown versus the Austin Peay Governors, both during the 2017 season.



In his second season, playing as a redshirt freshman, Shaquem Griffin had a brief stint as a second string player on the depth chart before being demoted to third string and then scout team. Griffin attributes his rise in his redshirt junior and redshirt senior seasons to Scott Frost's hiring as head coach for the 2016 and 2017 seasons. Writing for The Players' Tribune, Griffin said that, following his winless third season under O'Leary, "Coach Frost came in and brought me back into the light...He gave me the opportunity I had been waiting for ever since I first arrived at UCF. And I took advantage of it."


Griffin was named the 2018 Peach Bowl Defensive MVP and was the 2016 American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. In Griffin's senior season, UCF went undefeated and subsequently claimed a controversial national championship. Griffin told Ralph Warner and NFL Network in November 2017 that he planned to continue his football career in the NFL.



Shaquem stayed at UCF one season longer than Shaquill, as Shaquem redshirted his freshman year while Shaquill saw playing time. Shaquill graduated and was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the third round (90th overall pick) of the 2017 NFL Draft, while Shaquem stayed on for his redshirt senior year at UCF.



After the end of his college career, Griffin was named as one of two recipients of the 2019 NCAA Inspiration Award, presented to individuals currently or formerly associated with NCAA athletics for especially inspirational efforts in dealing with life-altering personal situations. He received the award alongside Maggie Nichols, the first individual to report having been sexually assaulted by Larry Nassar.

Don't let anything or anyone STOP you when you have a goal in mind JUST GO FOR IT !