Shaquem Griffin, former Seattle Seahawks linebacker and 'true inspiration,' announces retirement from NFL

By Sana Noor Haq, CNN

Updated 1041 GMT (1841 HKT) August 25, 2022

Shaquem Griffin, the only one-handed player in NFL history, announced his retirement from the league on Wednesday.

(CNN)Former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Shaquem Griffin — who the NFL called "a true inspiration" — officially announced his retirement from the NFL on Wednesday.

Griffin is the only one-handed player in NFL history, having lost his left hand at the age of four due to a prenatal condition, according to the NFL website. «The time has come for me to retire from professional football,» Griffin said in a statement released on The Players' Tribune.«Honestly, it's still a little surreal. After everything I've been through in my life — all the hard work, all the doubters — it's almost unthinkable that I'm hangin' it up and moving on from the game of football,» Griffin added. 'Plan A'Read MoreThe 27-year-old free agent said that while he is walking away from his career as a player, he is not leaving the league. Instead, he recently accepted an offer from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to join the NFL Legends Community — a league-run program where veterans help current and former players transition into and out of the game.«It's a resource to provide guidance and support to players in whatever they might be going through or trying to achieve, including assisting with community service initiatives,» Griffin said. «It's time for me to execute my Plan A. I know the positive effect I'm having on others. I'm speaking at colleges and universities, talking to football teams and even presenting to corporate America about never doubting yourself and tirelessly pursuing your dreams.»People at companies want to hear what I have to say when actually I'm the one