Shaquem Griffin, NFL's first one-handed player, retires

Shaquem Griffin is a football legend. No, he doesn't have any Pro Bowl appearances to his name and he was never named MVP or Defensive Player of the Year. None of that should matter, though, because Griffin undoubtedly deserves to wear a gold jacket one day as an NFL Hall of Famer.

For those unaware, Griffin was drafted in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks. He went on to play for Seattle for three seasons, totaling 25 tackles, one sack and one pass defended.

Again, those don't seem like Hall of Fame numbers but consider the fact that Griffin played in the NFL for three seasons with just one hand. 

His left hand was amputated when he was four because of a congenital condition known as amniotic band syndrome. That didn't stop Griffin from having a successful college football career at UCF, where he was named to the AAC All-Conference First Team

'I don’t do sympathy, man. I don’t like people feeling sorry for me," Griffin wrote in his retirement message posted to The Players' Tribune.

He went on to write that for as much as he's loved football, it has always been his "Plan B". 

"My dad used to tell me and my brother that. As kids we had dreamed of playing together in the NFL, but whenever we talked about it, our dad would remind us that if we made it to the league — especially if we got to play together — that would be an added blessing. A bonus. Plan A was to go to college, get an education and do something that would make a positive impact in the world."

Griffin has certainly inspired many with what he's done with his football career. He announced in his retirement post that he'll now have an opportunity to make a positive impact on the future of the NFL as well.

Roger Goodell has invited him to be a part of the NFL Legends Community.

'The NFL Legends Community is a program through which retired players help mentor current and former players on everything from the transition into and out of the game to how to navigate mental health issues. It’s a resource to provide guidance and support to players in whatever they might be going through or trying to achieve, including assisting with community service initiatives," Goodell explained.

Perhaps the best part of Griffin's story is that his time with the Seahawks reunited him with his brother Shaquill Griffin, who was drafted by Seattle in the third round of the 2017 draft. 

Shaquill Griffin now plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and his brother, Shaquem, says he'll be with him in spirit when he takes the gridiron this season.

"You’ve had my back since Day One, bro. You never let anybody mess with me when we were kids. At UCF, when they invited you to stay and work out and sent me home for the summer and I was working two jobs towing cars and cleaning offices at the Chevy dealership, you called me every day to make sure I was still working out and keeping my mind right. When I got cut, you stayed with me. Because I needed you," Shaquem reminisced. "We’ve always said, “We live through each other.” That won’t change. I’m still with you, living through you every time you take the field."