Shaquem Griffin dominates bench press at NFL Combine with one hand

Jordan Heck

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Shaquem Griffin dominates bench press at NFL Combine with one hand image

Shaquem Griffin only has one hand, but he still put up an impressive number in the bench press at the 2018 NFL Combine.

NFL COMBINE: Live updates, results from 2018 workouts

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The former UCF linebacker wore a prosthetic arm during the drill since he does not have his left hand. Griffin was born with amniotic band syndrome, which caused his fingers to not fully develop. As a child, this was painful for him and at age four he attempted to self-amputate his fingers to alleviate the pain. His parents then scheduled an amputation the next day.

Griffin continued to play sports, and at a high level. He was the 2018 Peach Bowl Defensive MVP (game-high 12 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks) and the 2016 AAC Defensive Player of the Year. 

In a self-written article on The Players' Tribune this week, Griffin wrote a letter to NFL GMs explaining why they should draft him.

"I’m blessed to have thick skin. But I’m even more blessed to have a family that never let me make excuses and who raised me to never listen to anybody who told me I couldn’t do something — especially because of my 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 O.K. 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. 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."

After his performance on the bench press, he received tons of praise on social media.

We'll see more of Griffin at the Combine on Sunday when linebackers take part in drills.

Jordan Heck

Jordan Heck Photo

Jordan Heck is a Social Media Producer at Sporting News. Before working here, he was a Digital Content Producer at The Indianapolis Star. He graduated with a degree from Indiana University.