Shaquem Griffin did it all over the course of his football career. The former Seahawks linebacker overcame getting his left hand amputated at age four to become an All-American at UCF. He turned that into a fifth-round selection and four-year NFL career.
That career is coming to an end, though. The 27-year old announced his intention to retire in an article posted to the Player’s Tribune Wednesday morning, citing his commitment to the NFL Legends Community, a program designed to offer support for NFL retirees while also building linkages with different communities across the country.
Griffin detailed his interaction with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who asked Griffin to be a part of the Legends program.
I’m sitting at that fancy hotel having brunch with the commissioner and he’s telling me he’d love to have me as part of the Legends Program. I look around the room and see all these vets — these old-school Legends who’ve been around forever — and I’m thinking, Man, I’m 27. I’d be the youngest Legend in the room.
And then the moment I knew that I had to say yes was when I was sitting with the commissioner and a few other guys, and we were just talking about football, rule changes — normal stuff. Then, the conversation shifted. We started talking about what’s happening on the streets in Chicago and how those communities are suffering. Guys started throwing out ideas on how we could help. How we could maybe improve people’s lives and make a real positive impact.
And I was thinking, These are the kinds of conversations I want to be a part of.
I had kind of already made up my mind before that, but that experience and that invitation from the commissioner locked me in and led me to the decision I had to make.
The time has come for me to retire from professional football.
Griffin is a pioneer. He made history as the first one-handed player drafted in the modern era of the NFL. He had his hand amputated when he was four years old due to a condition called amniotic band syndrome, which prevented his hand from developing normally.
Here’s everything you need to know about Griffin’s impending retirement.
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Why did Shaquem Griffin retire?
Griffin’s retirement comes after a frantic few years for the UCF alum. Griffin spent his first three seasons in Seattle, playing with identical twin Shaquill. Griffin didn’t see much time on the field during his tenure with the ‘Hawks, but taking the field with his brother was his oasis, the fulfillment of the twins’ childhood dream.
In 2020, that dream was forever altered; Griffin was released by the Seahawks. He bounced around from team to team, eventually joining the Dolphins. But without Shaquill — who had signed with the Jags in free agency — Griffin felt the love he had for the game was beginning to wane.
Being from St. Petersburg, I was happy to be back in Florida. But in Miami, everything felt different. I was still the same player — energetic, happy, always working. But something was missing.
And looking back on it now, I think that what was missing was my brother.
Griffin gave it another go after being cut by Miami in 2021. He received inquiries from a number of teams and held workouts with the Cardinals, Titans and Jets. But Griffin was ready to let go.
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.
So I told my agent, Buddy Baker, thank you for grinding and bringing me these opportunities. But unless it’s Jacksonville, I’m good.
The one-on-one between Griffin and Goodell sealed the deal; Goodell ensured that Griffin would be a part of a program that figures to change countless lives, both among former NFL players and the communities they came from.
What is the NFL Legends Community?
The NFL Legends Community is a program that looks to provide resources for NFL retirees as they transition to life after football.
“The NFL Legends Community works to ensure that every Legend has the best possible opportunity to live a fulfilling life after his playing experience,” said Troy Vincent, the league’s Executive Vice President of Football Operations.
The program helps ex-pros get involved in a number of ventures after retirement, including entrepreneurship, scouting and coaching.
Among its members are former All-Pro cornerback Charles Tillman and Hall of Famer Aenas Williams, who host a podcast alongside Tampa Bay Buccaneers corner Logan Ryan.
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