UCF’s Shaquem Griffin scores invite to NFL Scouting Combine
For former University of Central Florida football player Shaquem Griffin, the words “no” and “can’t” are becoming a distant memory.
Griffin took another critical step toward making sports history as the first one-handed player to be drafted by the NFL on Tuesday, earning a coveted invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine.
The charismatic leader of UCF’s defense known for his relentless energy was initially ignored by combine organizers, but a breakout performance during the Senior Bowl last week and vocal public support helped the athlete who had his left hand amputated at the age of 4 due to a birth defect earn a combine invitation.
Griffin, along with former college football teammates Tre’Quan Smith and Jordan Akins, will be among 300-plus elite ath-
UCF linebacker Shaquem Griffin said Tuesday he will attend next month’s NFL player combine. Griffin was not initially invited to the pre-draft workouts, but he impressed scouts at last week’s Senior Bowl and charmed the media, which was drawn to his quest to become the first player with one hand to be drafted by the NFL.