Shaquem Griffin: Kids With Missing Limbs Inspired by Newly Drafted Football Player With One Hand

The football player is now serving as motivation to children with big dreams.

After the Seattle Seahawks snatched Shaquem Griffin in the NFL Draft over the weekend, he has already found a legion of fans in the kids who are also missing limbs like the athlete are coming out in support of the decision.

Griffin has become the first athlete with a missing limb to ever be drafted in the NFL.

The 22-year-old from Florida, who was a linebacker at University of Central Florida, was born with amniotic band syndrome, a rare condition that constricts the flow of blood to the limbs.

It affected his left hand, causing it to not fully develop. When he was 4 years old, the hand was amputated. While many would see it as a setback, he has played sports his entire life. 

Griffin will play football next season on the Seahawks alongside his twin brother, Shaquill.   

Griffin has never let his limitation stop him; he lifts weights with a prosthetic hand and can run faster than any other linebacker in the NFL. 

His amazing story is inspiring Faith Trznadel. Her right leg was amputated when she was 10 months old.  She's a cheerleader and swimmer in Chicago.  

"People tell me that I can’t do it because I have a missing limb, but I prove to them I can do it and actually, I can do anything," she told Inside Edition. 

Tommy Morrissey, 7, a one-handed golfer, says he too is inspired by Griffin.  

"I am excited to watch him play," he told Inside Edition. 

RELATED STORIES