One of the most incredible moments of the weekend’s NFL Draft – apart from David Akers sticking it to Dallas Cowboys fans from the podium – was Seattle’s selection of Shaquem Griffin with fourth pick of the fifth round.
The University of Central Florida’s Griffin, one of the most inspirational stories of 2018 so far, has been without a left hand since he was four and became the first one-handed player ever drafted by an NFL team. Seattle also happens to be where twin brother Shaquill plies his trade as a cornerback.
Having excelled in front of pro scouts, coaches and GMs at the NFL Combine, he took one step closer to his dream of playing professional football and on Saturday, saw that fantasy become reality.
“It was really like a dream,” said the new Seahawk. “It was like I was dreaming. Magical stuff started happening. It’s unexplainable, the emotions, everything that was going through my mind. It was crazy. I had a feeling, but the chances are really low, so just to be able to be there. I couldn’t ask for anything in the world to have an opportunity to be back with my brother.
“I couldn't breathe,” he said of the moment the call came in. “I didn't know what to say. I was trying to get the words out, but I couldn't talk.”
Seattle’s head coach Pete Carroll described Griffin as “an extraordinary young man” and general manager John Schneider called his story “incredibly inspiring” but Shaquill (who the Seahawks drafted with the 90th pick last year) was still in shock when he saw the Seattle area code come up on his twin’s phone.
“A lot of emotion running through my body right now. I felt like there was maybe a 1 percent chance that you get twin brothers on the same team. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go. I was just going to be happy no matter what team gave him the opportunity. At the end of the day, that’s all I want for him, for a team to give him a shot and an opportunity, and take a chance on something that’s great, both for him and the organization. I’m glad the Seattle Seahawks did that.”
With one goal realised, the linebacker now has his sights set on the next one.
“This is not the end of my road,” he said. “It's only just the beginning. And I'm going to keep proving people wrong because I have a lot of people to prove wrong, a lot of doubters."