“With the 141st pick in the 2018 draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Shaquem Griffin!”
And with that, history is made and hope is ignited for everyone who battles to overcome physical challenges every day.
Make em Believe Quem !!! pic.twitter.com/6lbReOp2hs
— IamTrayvonBromell (@TrayvonBromell) April 28, 2018
The University of Central Florida linebacker Shaquem Griffin was picked up in the fifth round Saturday during the NFL Draft, and he joins his twin brother, Seattle cornerback Shaquill Griffin.
“There have been so many doubters in everything I do. I still have doubters now,” Shaquem told nbcsports.com. “I’m glad I’m on the right team, and I am with guys that I will be able to grow with, and better myself. I will be able to unleash everything that I have been holding to the other teams that didn’t give me a shot.”
And according to Seahawks general manager John Schneider, Shaquem has mad skills to unleash.
“One of the most interesting things about this guy as a football player, is that he makes his plays at critical moments in the game,” Schneider told nbcsports.com. “You can see it when you’re watching film, and then when the analytics guys throw their numbers at you, you go wow. Really impressive. He doesn’t miss any more tackles than the average linebacker in this draft. The rest of his stuff is just off the charts.”
The NFL just released this new video to highlight Shaquem’s story. NFL 360: I Am Shaquem Griffin. And it already has over 6.1 million views on Facebook alone.
https://youtu.be/GS9KR83ovg0
The video starts with Shaquem saying, “Trust me. You don’t know half the story.” And then Shaquem shares the other half of the story — his childhood and his quest to play for the NFL. He explains that he was born with a rare condition called amniotic band syndrome. It’s a condition where strands of amniotic membrane wrap around parts of the fetus, limiting blood flow and often resulting in amputation. Doctors removed Shaquem’s left hand when he was 4.