Shaquem Griffin Becomes First One-Handed Player Selected In NFL Draft

Shaquem Griffin is the first one-handed player to be picked in the NFL draft. The Seattle Seahawks took the linebacker with the 141st overall pick Saturday.

Griffin lost a hand when he was 4 years old due to a congenital condition known as amniotic band syndrome. A first-team All-American from the University of Central Florida, Griffin hasn’t allowed the loss of his hand to deter him from becoming one of the best football players in the country.

At the NFL scouting combine back in February, Griffin performed 20 repetitions of 225 pounds in the bench press using a prosthetic attachment in place of his amputated hand. The 22-year-old ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds, the fastest time for a linebacker in over ten years, according to ESPN.

Griffin joins his twin brother Shaquil, a cornerback, who was drafted by the Seahawks in 2017.

“This is not the end of my road ... it’s only just the beginning,” Griffin told ESPN. “And I’m going to keep proving people wrong.”