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Shaquem Griffin, a linebacker with 1 hand, goes viral after record-breaking NFL Combine


Central Florida linebacker Shaq Griffin runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 4, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Central Florida linebacker Shaq Griffin runs the 40-yard dash during the NFL football scouting combine, Sunday, March 4, 2018, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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Former University of Central Florida linebacker Shaquem Griffin only has one hand.

But one hand was all he needed as he took over the NFL Scouting Combine and then the internet.

Griffin came to Indianapolis as a late-round prospect despite a decorated career with the Golden Knights. He was already well-known to some in the football world because of his unique situation. A condition called amniotic band syndrome led to his left hand being amputated as a child. That did not stop him from earning a scholarship to play with his twin brotherShaquill at UCF.

Thanks to the combine, a lot more people now know his name.

Shaquem kicked things off Saturday during the bench press where, with the help of a prosthetic hand, he cranked out 20 reps of 225 pounds.

The video ofShaquem at the bench quickly spread across social media. But it turned out to just be his opening act. On Sunday,Shaquem ran a blazing fast 4.38 40-yard dash, the fastest ever for a linebacker since 2003.

ButShaquem is not just the fastest linebacker in Indianapolis. He is currently the third fastest player at the combine regardless of position. He ran faster than every running back, every tight end and all but two wide receivers. To help fans understand just how fastShaquem is, NFL Network showed him running against NFL superstars Julio Jones, Ezekiel Elliott and Richard Sherman. He beat them all.

4.38 seconds is also the exact same time his brotherShaquill ran during the 2017 combine.Shaquill was drafted by the Seahawks in the third round that year.

Shaquill made sure to call out anyone who doubted his brother.

All this serves to show, as NFL Network's Mike Mayock pointed out, that Shaquem is more than just a great story, he is a solid NFL prospect. The 6' 1," 227-pound linebacker won American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 and accumulated 17 sacks, 30 tackels for a loss, 163 total tackles, 13 passes defended, four forced fumbles and two interceptions during his four-year college career.

NFL stars like Deion Sanders, J.J. Watt, Terrell Owens, Von Miller and Sherman and so many others praised Shaquem's performance on social media.

Shaquem andShaquill often tweet using the hashtag "Agaist All Odds."Shaquem showed this weekend why NFL talent evaluators should belive them.

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