By Milo Payen The Seattle Seahawks linebacker Shaquem Griffin has one of the most inspiring stories in the present NFL. On the Saturday of April 28th, the UCF player was drafted to play for the Seahawks, alongside his twin brother Shaquill. The former UCF outside linebacker was born with a birth defect which caused the players left hands fingers to not develop completely. Due to complications regarding his health and the pain that it caused him as a child, by the age of four, his parents had scheduled an amputation to remove his left hand from his body entirely. In spite of his condition and then the removal of his left hand, Griffin didn’t let this stop him from gaining an interests in football and playing alongside his brother, alongside other sports such as baseball and track. He and his brother were eventually offered scholarships to play football for the University of Central Florida, where throughout his athletic career at the school, had notable games against teams such as the Temple Owls and others. His brother eventually was drafted in 2017 to play for the Seahawks, where Shaquem decided to stay behind and continue playing for UCF. Come 2018, he was drafted by the Seahawks for a 4-year deal worth $2.8 million and will now be playing alongside his sibling, who had been with him nearly every step of the way of this journey. The chance that the Seahawks have taken on Griffin is a big step not only in the athletes journey, but a big step for all people with some sort of physical disability throughout the United States and throughout the world. With the representation of somebody who’s similar to them, Griffins draft pick offers an icon and a role model for millions of disabled children to be able to see themselves through. His journey and his eventual pick to play in the NFL also brings about a glimmer of hope for any young student athlete with a physical disability who have been told that they won’t be able to live their dream and lets them know that the way they were born may not necessarily have to hold them back, as well increasing positive representation of disabled people in the media, and that truly is historic.
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Dylan EdelmanWilson Senior Archives
February 2020
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