NFL hopeful Shaquem Griffin writes heartfelt note

SHAQUEM Griffin only has one hand, and he used it to write a heartfelt letter to a group of people holding his destiny in their hands.

Shaquem griffin wants to prove his doubters wrong.

AMERICAN football hopeful Shaquem Griffin has written a heartfelt letter to franchise general managers as he hopes to earn a spot on an NFL roster at next month’s draft.

Griffin will be out to impress at the NFL Scouting Combine in the coming days and there’s a reason he’ll stand out from the pack.

He’s only got one hand.

The former University of Central Florida (UCF) linebacker was born with a deformed left hand that prevented it from fully developing. In a first person piece for The Players’ Tribune, Griffin recalls trying to chop his fingers off with a knife because of the pain before the hand was eventually amputated as a result of amniotic band syndrome, which cut off blood flow to it.

In the piece, titled A Letter to NFL GMs, Griffin expands on the dark times he’s experienced because of his physical ailment and reflects on a lifetime of rejection he’s constantly overcome.

He asks general managers not to rule a line through his name because of his unique position, instead saying he’s prepared to work harder than ever to realise his dream of becoming an NFL star.

It’s a dream that started as a kid, when Griffin’s dad would help him and twin brother Shaquill — now a cornerback for the Seattle Seahawks — practice.

“In our backyard, we had a couple of stacks of cinder blocks with a stick across the top, like a hurdle. And when we would run routes, we would have to jump over the hurdle and do other obstacles mid-route,” Griffin wrote.

“Then my dad would throw us the ball, and he’d throw it hard, right at our chest. And every time we dropped it, he would say, ‘Nothing comes easy.’

“That was kind of his motto — not just for me, but for all of us.

“I hated those workouts. There were definitely times when I wanted to quit. Sometimes, when my dad threw the ball so hard that it bounced off my chest or it hit me in the face, I would be like, ‘I don’t wanna do this anymore.’ But he never let me quit. ‘You’ll thank me one day,’ he’d say.”

Shaquem Griffin is hellbent on playing in the NFL.

Griffin was mocked on the field in high school but still worked his way towards a college career. That’s when things took a turn for the worse.

He was expecting to shine at UCF, but he kept getting bumped down the ladder, never getting a chance to even lace up his cleats on game day. While his teammates travelled on weekends to play, a heartbroken Griffin cut a lonely figure in his dorm room watching on his laptop while Shaquill lived out his fantasy.

“I spent so much time those first three years in Orlando sitting in that room, wondering why I wasn’t getting an opportunity to play on Saturdays,” Griffin wrote.

“It got to the point where that dorm was just so full of negative vibes, because I pretty much kept everything to myself. I didn’t really talk to anybody about what I was feeling — especially not to Shaquill.

“My twin brother was doing his thing. The dream was happening for him, and he was earning every single bit of it, working hard and showing out on the field.

“I wanted that for myself so badly, and even though I felt like I was good enough, and I was doing everything my coaches asked me to, I wasn’t even getting an opportunity.”

Things improved in Griffin’s third year at UCG. A new coach showed faith in him and his on-field performances spoke for themselves — an invitation to the Combine is proof of that — as he continued proving the doubters wrong.

Griffin delivered an MVP performance in the Peach Bowl against SEC Western Division champion Auburn that cast a bigger national spotlight on him.

He was the American Athletic Conference defensive player of the year as a junior, when he had 11.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss. Griffin followed that up with a strong senior season for a UCF team that declared itself national champion.

When everyone around him was telling him he wouldn’t make it, Griffin just became more determined.

No left hand? No worries.

“I’ve had people doubt me my whole life, and I know that there are a lot of kids out there with various deformities or birth defects or whatever labels people want to put on them, and they’re going to be doubted, too,” Griffin wrote.

“And I’m convinced that God has put me on this earth for a reason, and that reason is to show people that it doesn’t matter what anybody else says, because people are going to doubt you regardless.

“The important thing is that you don’t doubt yourself.

But there’s still a way to go in Griffin’s footballing journey, and he won’t rest until he reaches the pinnacle of the sport — joining his brother in the NFL.

To do that he’ll need to step up at the Combine and hope the powers that be appreciate his package enough to scoop him up at the draft — even if it comes with only one hand.

“I know there are some scouts and coaches — and even some of you GMs out there — who are probably doubting me, and that’s OK. I get it. I only have one hand, and because of that, there have always been people who have questioned whether or not I could play this game,” Griffin wrote.

“If you’re one of those GMs who believes that I can play in the NFL, I just want to say thank you. I appreciate you, and I’m excited for the opportunity to play for you and prove you right.

“And if one you’re of those who is doubting me … well, I want to thank you, too. Because you’re what keeps me motivated every day to work hard and play even harder.

“Back when I was eight years old, I played because I loved the game. I still do. But now, I also play because I believe it’s my purpose. I know that it won’t come easy. Nothing comes easy. But I will fulfil that purpose. I have no doubt.”