One-handed linebacker Griffin wows NFL Combine with stunning bench press

Nicholas McGee

•
One-handed linebacker Griffin wows NFL Combine with stunning bench press image

Central Florida linebacker Shaquem Griffin was the talk of the NFL world on Saturday, producing a stunning performance in the bench press at the Combine, despite only having one hand.

MORE: Josh Rosen, Baker Mayfield competing at NFL Combine not good look — for Sam Darnold

With the help of a prosthetic, Griffin, who lost his left hand due to a pre-natal condition called Amniotic Band Syndrome, completed 20 reps of 225 pounds.

That effort tied for 16th among participating linebackers and, to put things in perspective, was superior to those of 320-pound Western Michigan offensive lineman Chukwuma Okorafor (19 reps) and 345-pound Oklahoma offensive lineman Orlando Brown (14 reps).

Griffin is seen as a likely mid-round pick in April's draft, with his twin brother Shaquill picked in the third round by the Seattle Seahawks last year.

And his performance drew praise from across the NFL, including from his sibling's superstar team-mate Russell Wilson.

Speaking about his bench press, Griffin told NFL Network: "Just starting that off, I just felt the energy from everybody. I mean, my adrenaline was going through the roof and I didn't feel like I needed to stop.

"So as soon as I heard I was at 16, I was like, 'Oh, yeah, I'm going for 20'. I was like, 'I'm going to change my fitness regimen, I've got to grind this out right here'. It felt amazing to reach that goal. I mean, it's amazing. 

"Obviously a lot of people didn't feel like I was going to do the bench press and for me to be able to put a prosthetic on – I remember when I first started using the prosthetic, I had just the bar and I was shaking all over the place when I first got to UCF and being able to put up numbers like that, with good competition with everybody, it's amazing because it just goes to show how much hard work I put in to get this level."

Nicholas McGee