Former Seattle Seahawks LB Shaquem Griffin officially announces retirement
This browser does not support the video element.
By Bob D'Angelo, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Shaquem Griffin, a linebacker who excelled in college and made it to the NFL despite having his left hand amputated when he was a child, announced his retirement on Wednesday.
Griffin, 27, who has not played in the regular season since 2020, outlined his future plans in a piece he wrote for The Players’ Tribune and said that he is looking forward to helping others as part of the NFL Legends Community.
Griffin’s left hand was amputated when he was 4 due to amniotic band syndrome, a congenital condition, ESPN reported. He became the first player with one hand to be drafted in the NFL’s modern era when the Seattle Seahawks selected him in the fifth round out of the University of Central Florida in 2018. That reunited him with his twin brother, Shaquill Griffin, who was then Seattle’s starting left cornerback.
In a tweet, the NFL called Griffin “a true inspiration.”
“The time has come for me to retire from professional football,” Shaquem Griffin wrote in The Players’ Tribune.
The Griffin brothers were Seahawks teammates from 2018 to 2020. Shaquem Griffin played in 46 games in the NFL and had 25 tackles and a sack, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com.
Griffin also sacked Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the divisional round of the 2019 playoffs, which led to a memorable moment of him celebrating with his brother, ESPN reported.
“It’s time for me to execute my Plan A,” Griffin wrote.
“Plan A, for me, was always to help people,” he told NFL.com. “You know, not knowing how it was going to look, not knowing how it was going to come about, but I always want to pave that way to help anybody. My mom was somebody who always helped somebody and my dad kind of preached to us like, ‘Plan B is football. Plan A is what you need to focus on. That’s what you go to school for, that’s what you get the good grades for.’ Now it’s starting to become a real thing, and that’s why I was smiling so hard because it’s an exciting thing.
“It’s bittersweet, yes, but it’s an exciting moment to embark on a journey that I always wanted to be in, and that’s motivating people, helping people,” Griffin added. “Having people have that positive mindset; that mentality to be better than what you think you really are because you have so many people who believe in you, love you and sometimes you got to tap into that side to see more for yourself and that’s what I was able to do.”
Photos: Shaquem Griffin through the years Shaquem Griffin, a former Seattle Seahawks linebacker whose left hand was amputated when he was a child, announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2022. Here are some memorable photos from his career. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Photos: Shaquem Griffin through the years 2016: Quarterback Quinton Flowers of the South Florida Bulls breaks free from linebacker Shaquem Griffin of the UCF Knights during the third quarter at Raymond James Stadium on November 26, 2016, in Tampa, Florida. (Jason Behnken / Getty Images)
Photos: Shaquem Griffin through the years 2017: Shaquem Griffin of the UCF Knights reacts prior to a play against the South Florida Bulls in the first quarter at Spectrum Stadium on November 24, 2017, in Orlando, Florida. (Logan Bowles/Getty Images)
Photos: Shaquem Griffin through the years 2018: Shaquem Griffin of the UCF Knights celebrates after sacking Jarrett Stidham of the Auburn Tigers in the third quarter during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on January 1, 2018, in Atlanta. (Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Photos: Shaquem Griffin through the years 2018: Shaquem Griffin of UCF poses on the red carpet prior to the start of the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium on April 26, 2018, in Arlington, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Photos: Shaquem Griffin through the years 2018: Shaquem Griffin of the Seattle Seahawks warms up before the game against the Arizona Cardinals at CenturyLink Field on December 30, 2018, in Seattle. (Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
Photos: Shaquem Griffin through the years 2019: Shaquem Griffin (left) and Shaquill Griffin attend Players' Night Out 2019 hosted by The Players' Tribune featuring the NBPA's Players' Voice awards at the Dream Hotel on July 9, 2019, in Los Angeles. (Leon Bennett/Getty Images for The Players' Tribune)
Photos: Shaquem Griffin through the years 2019: Quarterback Kyler Murray of the Arizona Cardinals scrambles against pressure from outside linebacker Shaquem Griffin of the Seattle Seahawks during the game at CenturyLink Field on December 22, 2019, in Seattle. (Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
Photos: Shaquem Griffin through the years 2020: Shaquill Griffin and Shaquem Griffin of the Seattle Seahawks celebrate after sacking Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers in the second half of the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lambeau Field on January 12, 2020, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
Photos: Shaquem Griffin through the years 2021: Outside linebacker Shaquem Griffin of the Seattle Seahawks walks off the field following the NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium on January 3, 2021, in Glendale, Arizona. The Seahawks defeated the 49ers 26-23. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Photos: Shaquem Griffin through the years 2022: Shaquem Griffin reacts after announcing the Seattle Seahawks' 72nd overall pick during round three of the 2022 NFL Draft on April 29, 2022, in Las Vegas. (David Becker/Getty Images)