Shaquem Griffin.
He isn't a household name just yet. Well, maybe if you're from Florida or Seattle.
If you don't know who Shaquem Griffin is, Google his name and you will see nothing but good things. I'll give you a quick synopsis:
Griffin is an NFL player who lost his left hand at a young age. At this young age, he was told everything that he couldn't do; the doctors told him playing football was one of them.
He broke all of the odds. He made it to the NFL.
Recently, at the NFL Honors, Griffin won the "Game Changer" award for his charisma and unbelievable story. During his first year in the NFL, he raised awareness for children with disabilities, ones similar to his and not. He made kids believe in themselves and proved to them that anything is possible with hard work and determination.
When he received his award, he gave a powerful and impactful speech that I believe every kid needs to hear.
Griffin said, "You know what, I wrote a speech. I don't want to say that speech. I'm honored to be here amongst you guys because I never thought I'd be here. Just seeing this, being around you guys, is amazing. Growing up as a child, being told what I couldn't do, it can weigh heavy on your heart. But I had family, I had my brothers, I had those around me, to keep my head straight, to keep my hopes high. And now I can say I'm truly blessed and I'm honored to be here in front of you. I want to say thank you to the Seahawks for giving me an opportunity to be here, thank you to the NFL organization."
Wow.
Let's digest this for a second. Imagine if every child could hear someone like Griffin say that he had family and friends to keep his head straight. Do you think they would straighten up in their seat a little bit? I say yes. Kids need to hear from professional athletes like Griffin that it is possible to beat the odds and remain humble and grateful.
I know there are so many kids in this world who could benefit from hearing this message. I urge everyone to listen below. Share it with your friends, nieces, nephews, daughters, and sons.
