University Of Central Florida Product Shaquem Griffin Continues To Impress
Jul 31, 2018, 12:00 AM | Updated: Jan 4, 2019, 11:32 am
(Photo Credit: Logan Bowles/Getty Images)
The one-handed linebacker, who was drafted in the fifth round by the Seattle Seahawks, continues to turn heads.
Most recently, the 23-year-old picked off Russell Wilson at the goal line.
Offense was thinking six.. @Shaquemgriffin had other plans. #SeahawksCamp pic.twitter.com/ZA43tH6JzO
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) July 30, 2018
Shaquem was born with amniotic band syndrome affecting his left hand, causing his fingers on his left hand not to fully develop. When he was four, his mother found him in the kitchen with a butcher knife trying to cut off his fingers due to the pain. His parents scheduled an amputation the following day.
But Griffin’s early success in the NFL shouldn’t be too surprising.
Shaquem was awarded a full scholarship to UCF, named the 2018 Peach Bowl Defensive MVP and the 2016 American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, performed 20 reps in the NFL combine bench press while wearing a prosthesis, and ran the fastest 40-yard dash time by a linebacker since the NFL released official statistics (4.38 seconds).