Linebacker Shaquem Griffin’s journey to the NFL after having his left hand amputated was an inspirational one, but his time as a professional football player has come to an end.
Griffin announced his retirement in a piece he wrote for The Players Tribune on Wednesday. Griffin made headlines while playing at UCF because he had his left hand amputated as a child after being born with a condition that caused his fingers not to fully develop. Griffin was still able to become a star player and was selected by the Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2018 draft.
He made the team and appeared in 46 regular season games and four playoff games over the next three seasons. He saw the majority of his playing time on special teams and finished his run in Seattle with 27 tackles and two sacks across those 50 appearances.
Griffin’s twin brother Shaquill played cornerback for UCF and with the Seahawks, but both players moved on after the 2020 season. Shaquill signed with the Jaguars as a free agent and remains on their roster, but Shaquem failed to make the Dolphins and was out of the league last year after tryouts with a number of teams failed to result in a job.
In his retirement announcement, Griffin offered thanks to many people but finished by saying his greatest gratitude was for his brother. He also said he knows that his story has had a positive effect on other people and that his goal is now to “leave the world a better place than when we found it.”
