It’s every young football players dream to play in the NFL and become a future Hall-of-Famer, record holder, and Super Bowl Champion. But before that, they need to prove that they can do so. They must undergo a variety of tests that measure their athleticism, speed, agility, and an array of other factors. This rite of passage is the NFL Combine, the crucible that forges prospects into franchise players. It separates the average from the exceptional and gives athletes the chance to confirm themselves worthy to play in the big league. One linebacker from the University of Central Florida showed to be one of those special cases.
Shaquem Griffin was affected by amniotic band syndrome at birth which caused his left arm to not fully develop inflicting excruciating pain, ultimately leading to an amputation. He can only play with one hand and uses part of his left forearm. Naturally, anyone would expect this to be a hindrance to him participating in a high contact sport such as football. Think again. Griffin didn’t allow a setback, something that he had no control over, to alter how he could play. After receiving a scholarship to play at UCF, Griffin would go on to play on the team that went undefeated in 2017, who later dubbed themselves as “National Champions”. Coming off a historic year at UCF, Griffin declared for the NFL Draft and would take part in the Combine. This year’s Combine showcased a great class of quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers. While most of the players were soaking up the spotlight, Griffin put on a show in the background, producing great numbers. He put up 20 reps in the bench press, ran 4.38 in the 40-yard dash (fastest by any linebacker ever, outrunning the likes of Sherman, Elliott, and Jones), jumping 117.0 inches in the broad jump, as well as garnering a large amount of praise from professional athletes on Twitter. Shaquem Griffin is a perfect example of someone that proved the doubters wrong and will play well and will be a great asset to an NFL team sometime in the near future.
Editor’s Note: Images taken by elisfkc and under license with CC BY-SA 2.0.
