| Age/Date of Birth: | 27 years old (July 20, 1995) |
|---|---|
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Ethnicity/Race: | Black |
| Nationality: | American |
| Wife or Girlfriend: | Not known |
| Parents: | Terry Griffin and Tangie Griffin |
| Net Worth: | Not known |
Despite having fingers in just one hand, Shaquem Griffin is still one of the best players of the Seattle Seahawks. As the first one-handed player to be drafted by the professional football franchise, the linebacker is not limited by his physical challenge. He remains one of his team’s finest players – thanks to his massive strength and above-average athletic ability. Griffin is also known for his exceptional speed, prowess, and football IQ which helps him excel in coverage, run support, and rushing the passer.
Admired for being tough and for his competitiveness, Shaquem Griffin is a productive blitzer and an aggressive hitter you’d count on to pull off effective tackles. He only kicked off his professional football career in 2018 but has already established himself in the game. Considering his physical strength and versatility, it is not outrageous to hope that he would become one of the best in the history of the game in no time. Below are answers to some of the questions you’ve been asking about the Seahawk linebacker.
Shaquem Griffin Was Born With a Congenital Physical Anomaly and Got Amputated When He Was 4 Years Old
An American by nationality and a native of St. Petersburg, Florida, Shaquem Griffin was born on July 20, 1995. He has a twin brother named Shaquill Griffin. Shaquem’s parents, Tangie and Terry Griffin named him Shaquem Alphonso Griffin.
Shaquem was born with amniotic band syndrome, a congenital disorder caused by strands of the amniotic sac that constricts or separates parts of the fetus, mostly the finger and limbs.
The syndrome affected Griffin’s left hand, causing the fingers not to develop properly. When Shaquem was four years of age, he attempted to cut off his hand because of pains. His parents then decided to schedule him for amputation the following day.
He Has Been Playing Football Without His Left Hand Since Childhood
Griffin loved sports, especially football which he began to play when he was only 5. While studying at the Lakewood High School in St. Petersburg, Florida, he nurtured his passion for the game and also played baseball and basketball. As a senior in high school, Shaquem Griffin and his identical brother became the Tampa Bay track and field Athlete of the Year. Shaquem was also named as the state long jump champion and the nation’s fifth athlete for triple jumps.
When it was time for college, Griffin and his twin decided to accept the football scholarship offered by the University of Central Florida (UCF), rejecting offers from other schools like the University of Miami, his dream team from childhood. Gracefully, the young athlete performed extremely well all through his college football career, although he redshirted his freshman season while his twin brother played on. He became UCF’s superstar linebacker and one of the best players on the varsity team after scoring a total of 30 tackles and 17 sacks.
From his rookie season up to his senior career season in college, Shaquem only got better. He was named the 2016 American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, and the 2018 Peach Bowl Defensive MVP. He also received other prestigious accolades and recognition for the impressive records he attained. They include making the ESPN All-Bowl Team, Second-team All-American, and First-team All-AAC. After his college career, he was named among the two recipients of the 2019 NCAA Inspiration Award.
While Shaquille joined the NFL in 2017, Shaquem stayed back for his redshirt senior year.
Making History as the First One-handed Player Drafted By an NFL Team
It is a big dream to nurture hopes of playing in the big league when you are one-handed. In fact, many imagined that Shaquem would never make it to the NFL but then, his college record was too remarkable to be ignored. He received an invitation to the NFL Draft of 2018 and it earned him massive media attention for an obvious reason: he was the first amputee to ever make it to the NFL draft.
The Seatle Seahawks picked Griffin on April 28, 2018, in its fifth round, he was the 141st overall pick. He then signed a 4-year deal worth $2.8 million with the franchise. That same year, he made his preseason debut in a game against the Indianapolis Colts. As expected, Shaquem Griffin displayed his athletic prowess, leading in tackles with his 6 solo tackles and three assisted tackles. As a pass rusher, Shaquem Griffin’s quickness was classified among the best in the year’s draft.
Playing with his brother in the same professional football franchise, Shaquem has maintained a superb football quality.
The Linebacker Has Been an Outstanding Player Right from College
Shaquem Griffin’s competitive spirit can be traced back to his high school days. Competing in track, baseball, and football, he distinguished himself as an athlete and even emerged as a state long jump champion.
Being one-handed, one could imagine he wasn’t going to be taken seriously. But when Shaquem got the chance to play in college, he wasted no time in proving his worth and that made all the difference.
At the end of his college career, he had pulled off a total of 17 sacks and 30 tackles for a loss.
Awards and Highlights of his College Career
- AAC Defensive Player of the Year – 2016
- Two-time First-team All-AAC – 2016, 2017
- Second-team All-American – 2017
- Senior CLASS Award – 2017
- Peach Bowl Defensive MVP – 2018
- American Athletic Conference Fifth Anniversary Team – 2018
- NCAA Inspiration Award – 2019
Shaquem Griffin’s NFL Career Attainments Compared to His Brother’s
While Shaquem Griffin is a linebacker, his twin brother Shaquill Griffin is a cornerback, so it’s to some extent, unnecessary to compare their performances. Nevertheless, some overall factors can be used to compare the performances of NFL players.
Things like first-team and second-team selections, and being named for the all-star game (Pro Bowl) of the league have always been criteria for judging the performance of players. Using these yardsticks, and comparing their career statistics, one would conclude that Shaquill is more accomplished than his brother.
NFL Career Stats and Awards: Shaquem VS Shaquill
| Shaquem | Shaquill |
| Total Tackles – 25 | Total Tackles – 243 |
|---|---|
| Sacks – 1 | Sacks – 1.0 |
| Sports Emmy Award – 2019 | Pass Deflections – 48 |
| Interceptions – 6 | |
| Pro Bowl – 2019 |
It is imperative to point out that Shaquill began his professional career a year before Shaquem. Also, Shaquem earned more recognition than Shaquill in college if we must compare their college careers as well. To the best of our knowledge, the only recognition Shaquill got from his college career was being named to Second-team All-AAC in 2016.
| Profile Summary | |
|---|---|
| First Name: | Shaquem |
| Last Name: | Griffin |
| Also Known As: | Shaquem Alphonso Griffin |
| Sex/Gender: | Male |
| Profession: | American football linebacker |
| Famous For: | His professional football career |
| Colleges/Universities Attended: | University of Central Florida |
| Educational Qualifications: | Not known |
| Religion: | Not known |
| Birthday & Zodiac |
|
| Age/Date of Birth: | 27 years old (July 20, 1995) |
| Zodiac Sign: | Cancer |
| Birth Place: | St. Petersburg, Florida, United States |
| Nationality: | American |
| Ethnicity/Race: | Black |
| Country of Residence: | USA |
| Physical Attributes |
|
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Weight: | 227 lb (103 kg) |
| Eye Colour: | Brown |
| Hair Color: | Brown |
| Other Body Measurements: | Arm length- 32 1⁄8 in (0.82 m), Hand size- 9 in (0.23 m) |
| Relationships | |
| Marital Status: | Single |
| Spouse/Partner: | Not known |
| Family and Relatives |
|
| Father: | Terry Griffin |
| Mother: | Tangie Griffin |
| Children: | Not known |
| Siblings: | Shaquill Griffin (twin brother) |
| Other Relatives: | Not known |
| Net Worth | |
| Estimated Net Worth: | Not known |
| Salary: | $750,000 |
| Source of Wealth: | His football career |
