Having only one hand hasn’t stopped NFL hopeful Shaquem Griffin

MOBILE, Ala. — Shaquem Griffin has been proving people wrong since he was seven years old. He was going to try out for a Pee Wee football team in St. Petersburg, Florida, when the coach said he couldn’t play with one hand.

“He said football is for two-handed players,” Griffin said. “I looked into the rule book and I never seen a rule of only two-handed players can play football.”

Griffin made the team and in one of his first games picked up an interception while playing multiple positions.

It’s that trait, never giving up, that has Griffin at Senior Bowl practices playing several positions from safety, outside linebacker to defensive end.

Numerous NFL teams, including the Jets and Giants, have interviewed Griffin here trying to see if can play on the next level.

“Being able to prove people wrong, it makes me feel so much better,” Griffin said. “Imagine doing a task for yourself and as soon as you overcome it, it gives you so much relief. I finally did it.”

Griffin was 4 when doctors amputated his left hand because of a prenatal conditioned called amniotic band syndrome. It’s a condition where a strand of the amniotic membrane wraps around a fetal extremity that causes a deformity and extreme pain, which in turn leads to an amputation.

Griffin hasn’t let that stop him from playing high school or college football. He played four years at University of Central Florida and in his senior season, the 6-1, 223-pounder had 74 total tackles, seven sacks, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles. In his last two seasons, Griffin had 18.5 sacks.

He played a variety of positions from linebacker to defensive back. If he’s going to follow his twin brother, Shaquill, a cornerback with the Seattle Seahawks, to the NFL, versatility is the key.

“What a kid, I’ve been impressed with him,” said Texans coach Bill O’Brien, who is coaching Griffin for the South Team. “In the meeting room, on the practice fields, he plays hard. He’s got a playing style relatitve to what his limitations are physically. He’s got a way of playing that’s really interesting to watch. He’s going to be an interesting guy to evaluate.”

Griffin has played outside linebacker, where NFL coaches want to see him pass rush and then drop back into coverage. Griffin’s size allows him to also play strong safety because he’s a strong tackler. While using just one hand, Griffin is all about making plays at different angles to bring ball carriers down. He’s also on special teams. During one Senior Bowl practice he worked at safety, defensive end and outside linebacker.

Finding the right position for him could be difficult, but that’s just a small thing compared to what he’s overcome.

“I’m having fun at all of them, I can’t lie to you,” he said. “Being able to move around, it was eventful, it was a roller coaster. I’m down in the dirt taking on 300-pound linemen and I’m back in space covering small, fast guys. It’s awesome.”

With Griffin at the Senior Bowl, the next step is probably the NFL Combine in Indianapolis to show his skills. But he’s still waiting for his invite.

“I called right after our bowl game and tried to see if I was invited,” Griffin said. “But the good thing is it wasn’t a no. It wasn’t a yes. But I’m in the middle and all I can do is finish my job here, work as hard as possible and hopefully they give me a shot.”

Griffin will get his shot on Saturday in the Senior Bowl and hopes to impress NFL teams to either draft him in April or sign him as an undrafted free agent.

“I never let one hand stop me from doing what I needed to do to get down field and win games,” Griffin said.

What about that youth football coach that tried to prevent you from playing? You remember his name?

“I didn’t know him then, and I don’t know him now,” he said with a smile.