Shaquem Griffin

Shaquem Alphonso Griffin (born July 20, 1995) is a former American football linebacker who played in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons.

He is the twin brother of Carolina Panthers cornerback Shaquill Griffin, and both brothers played college football at UCF.

Shaquem Alphonso Griffin was born to Terry and Tangie Griffin on July 20, 1995, in St. Petersburg Florida, 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.

The pain was so intense that at 4 years of age he grabbed a butcher knife, planning to cut the hand off.

His mother took the knife away, and 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.

Born in St. Petersburg, Florida, Griffin attended and played high school football at Lakewood, where he played safety.

He attended 2011 Under Armour Combine.

He helped Lakewood reach the 2012 Florida 5A regional semifinals.

He earned Second Team 5A All-State and Tampa Bay Times Second Team All-Suncoast honors.

He played in the 2012 Florida Athletic Coaches Association North-South All-Star Game.

USA Football selected him to the 2013 U.S. Under-19 National Team, playing for whom earned him national attention after an interception by Griffin landed on ESPN's Top 10 Plays.

He was rated a three-star recruit prospect by both Rivals and ESPN.

He was also a four-year letter earner in track and field, including the 4x100 relay, triple jump, shot put, and discus.

After winning the triple jump state title, and breaking two Lakewood records, he was named the Tampa Bay Times Track and Field Athlete of the Year in Pinellas County (Florida).

He received collegiate track and field interest from programs including LSU, Miami, and Purdue.

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.

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".

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 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.

When Griffin was 4 years old, he had his left hand amputated; Griffin later 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.

Griffin played with the Seahawks for three seasons before spending part of the 2021 season with the Miami Dolphins' practice squad.

He retired during the 2022 offseason.

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 national championship.

Griffin participated in the NFL Scouting Combine in March 2018.

He made headlines for performing 20 reps in the bench press while wearing a prosthesis and for running the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds, the fastest time for a linebacker since the NFL has released official statistics.

Despite the fact that he was not projected as a first-round pick, Griffin received an invitation to the 2018 NFL Draft, which he accepted on March 29, 2018.

Griffin received extensive press and social media coverage leading up to and during the draft, as he would have been the first one-handed player drafted into the NFL if chosen.

On April 28, 2018, he was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round (141st overall), reuniting him with his brother Shaquill.

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.

Despite not initially receiving an invitation,