An NFL player who gained a lot of attention when he was drafted is calling it a career. Linebacker Shaquem Griffin announced his retirement in an article he wrote for The Players’ Tribune on Wednesday. Giffin made headlines when he was playing college football at the University of Central Florida because he had his left hand amputated when he was a child. Griffin was born with a condition that caused his fingers not to fully develop. He was selected in the fifth round by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2018 NFL Draft and was with the team for three seasons.
“The time has come for me to retire from professional football,” Griffin wrote. “It’s time for me to execute my Plan A. Honestly, it’s still a little surreal. After everything I’ve been through in my life — all the hard work, all the doubters — it’s almost unthinkable that I’m hangin’ it up and moving on from the game of football. But I know the positive effect I’m having on others. I’m speaking at colleges and universities, talking to football teams and even presenting to corporate America about never doubting yourself and tirelessly pursuing your dreams. People at companies want to hear what I have to say when actually I’m the one that can learn so much from them. It’s crazy.”
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Griffin played in 46 regular season games and four playoff games during his time with the Seahawks. He saw the majority of his action on special teams and finished with 27 tackles and two sacks in 50 appearances. In 2021, Griffin signed a contract with the Miami Dolphins but did not make the roster and was out of the league last year.
“The Dolphins cut me before the 2021 season,” Griffin revealed. “I worked out for the Cardinals, the Titans and the Jets, and then I got calls from Buffalo, Dallas and Atlanta. But after that Jets workout, I realized something. All this traveling around, working out for teams, trying to catch on somewhere, trying to hang on — it wasn’t what I wanted. Football had already given me so much, and the only thing I still really wanted from the game was to play with my brother again.” Giffin’s twin brother, Shaquill, played for the Seahawks from 2017 to 2020. He is now a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars where he’s a starting cornerback.
