On April 28, 2018, Shaquem Griffin made history by becoming the first one-handed player drafted into the NFL, with the Seattle Seahawks selecting him in the fifth round.
Griffin, twin brother of former Seahawks cornerback Shaquill Griffin, was born with amniotic band syndrome, which caused his fingers on his left hand to not fully develop. He had his left hand amputated at just four years old, but he refused to let that bring him down.
Even with only one hand, Griffin emerged as a football star, first at Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg and then at UCF. He became a nation-wide sensation near the end of his time at UCF, and seeing him make it all the way to the NFL was incredibly inspirational.
Griffin didn't play much for the Seahawks, starting just one game over three seasons and recording just 25 total tackles. After a brief stint on the Miami Dolphins' practice squad in 2021, he hung up his cleats in August of 2022.
Since retiring, Griffin has committed to helping others however he could, be it through motivational speaking, writing books or promoting new prosthetics. On that last subject, he now has a spiffy new prosthetic of his own.
The 29-year-old recently showed off a new AI-powered prosthetic arm, which helps him perform everyday tasks like shopping at the grocery story and pouring drinks far easier than he ever could before. Griffin has used prosthetics previously, but they were specifically for use in the weight room with not much utility outside of it.
Griffin has battled adversity throughout his entire life, and even with this revolutionary new tool, he still wants his journey to serve as an inspiration for others battling adversity.
“The takeaway from my story is it’s something transparent that all of us went through something before to be where we are at now. I’m just a reminder,” Griffin told The Observer, the student newspaper at Central Washington University. “That's the thing about support systems and stuff around you, sometimes you need those reminders. You get used to overcoming and overcoming and overcoming and stuff like that, and sometimes you forget where you came from.
“That’s where you need people like myself to be able to remind you to overcome, don’t get complacent, don't get tired because your next adversity may be the hardest one,” he continued. “But it doesn't mean you can’t overcome it, it’s only going to prepare you and set you up for the blessings that you will receive after you overcome it.”
