Shaquem Griffin Makes NFL History Becoming the First One-Handed Player By Jordan Ertischek

The chances of someone making the NFL are slim to none, but even the thought of making the NFL while only having one hand is unthinkable. Beating all the odds Shaquem Griffin a linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks started in his first NFL game on September 9, 2018. Shaquem Griffin didn’t have the same life growing up as other NFL players did when they were kids. Shaquem Griffin (born 2 minutes after his twin brother Shaquill) was born with amniotic band syndrome. It caused the fingers on Shaquem’s left hand to not fully develop. Later in his life, when Shaquem was 4 years old he had his whole left hand amputated due to excruciating pain. This amputation forced Shaquem to adapt to a new lifestyle with one hand. Fast-forward to July 27, 2012, Shaquem Griffin committed to the University of Central Florida after receiving a football scholarship there by Coach George O’Leary. Shaquem’s brother Shaquill turned down playing football at his dream college so he could play alongside Shaquem. Shaquem decided to redshirt his freshman season after not receiving any playing time. For a short streak Shaquem was a second-string player, but shortly after fell all the way to the scout team in the depth chart. His next season UCF signed a new coach Scott Frost. Scott frost gave Shaquem the opportunity he was waiting for. Shaquem quickly saw his playing time and performance increase. In 2016, Shaquem was named the AAC Defensive Player of the Year. During this 3 year stretch, he racked up lots of achievements and awards such as 2x First-Team All-AAC, Second-Team All-American, Sports Illustrated All-Bowl Team, AAC Championship, Peach Bowl Championship, Peach Bowl Defensive MVP, and ESPN All-Bowl Team. After a great final year at UCF Shaquem was initially not invited to the NFL Combine, but later on, was invited to the 2018 NFL Combine. Shaquem proved he deserved to be at the combine by running a 4.38-second 40-yard dash, the fastest 40-yard dash ever by a linebacker. Shaquem Griffin’s amazing performance at the combine boosted his value in the draft. Shaquem was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He signed a 4-year deal worth 2.8 million dollars. Shaquem Griffin had his NFL debut on September 9, 2018, against the Denver Broncos.