After being waived, Shaquem Griffin returned to Seahawks ready to take ‘full advantage of opportunities’
Shaquem Griffin stood on the Seahawks’ sideline Sunday afternoon at CenturyLink Field eager for his chance — again.
When he finally got it, Griffin, who was placed on waivers three weeks ago after spending his first two seasons on Seattle’s active roster, didn’t let up, playing crucial downs on defense in the fourth quarter of Seattle’s 38-31 win over the Cowboys.
“For me, it was just all a mindset,” Griffin said Wednesday on a Zoom call with reporters. “Once you go through something like that you have a choice to make, and I think, for me, I didn’t want to make the choice to settle myself short.”
After the team resigned him to practice squad Sept. 6, Griffin spent his time making sure he was ready for any opportunity presented. He was elevated to the active roster ahead of the Dallas game, made his defensive debut late, and played 17 snaps as an edge rusher and spying Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
And, on the final 11-play drive that secured Seattle’s win, he came up with a quarterback hit and pass defensed.
Griffin’s contributions and enthusiasm were noticed by coaches and teammates. Pete Carroll said Monday Griffin ‘earned’ a spot on the active roster for this week’s game in Miami. Bobby Wagner said he loves Griffin’s mentality and mindset.
“Anybody in his situation could have easily gotten mad or frustrated about what happened, but he came in prepared, was preparing all week, and the moment he got his opportunity he came in and made some really good plays,” Wagner said. “Whether it was on Zeke (Ezekiel Elliott), whether it was breaking up the ball over the middle and just being really active.
“I was really impressed with the way he handled everything, and his preparation on coming in and being ready.”
Griffin, who was in on nearly half of Seattle’s special teams snaps his first two seasons, and took occasional snaps at linebacker, said he was surprised to get the call he was being waived when rosters were cut down Sept. 5. He said he had come in for daily COVID-19 testing, thinking it was going to be a normal day, when he got the call.
Griffin spent the next day not knowing if he would be claimed by another team, which would separate him from his twin brother, Seahawks corner Shaquill Griffin. After he cleared and signed with the Seahawks’ practice squad, remaining in Seattle, he relied on his brother as he tried to gain perspective on his new situation.
“Having my brother there was pretty big,” Griffin said. “I can admit to that. We sat down. We talked for so long just about ups and downs, pros and cons to what was going on and the situation. I think, for me, my brother kind of calmed me down.”
In his talks with his brother, Griffin said he realized he needed to focus on what he could control.
“I can’t sit here and try to control something that’s out of my control,” Griffin said. “What I’ve got to do is just be where my feet are at. … So, whatever stuff came, I was ready to attack that.”
When he was signed to the practice squad, he resolved to get back to work.
“It was more of, I’ve just got to understand my situation and fight up out of it,” he said. “And the whole mindset is don’t let it allow myself to fold, but just keep pushing.”
Griffin said three other teams, including Houston, reached out with offers after he cleared waivers, but he opted to stay in Seattle.
“I just didn’t see myself leaving,” he said. “I didn’t see myself going somewhere else and starting over. Just because I leave doesn’t mean it’s going to be a better situation for me. And I just felt like being here, worst comes to worst, I’ve always got my brother. At the end of the day, when I’ve got him, everything’s always good no matter if I’m playing ball or not.
“So, I was like, ‘Man, I’m not going to just leave and run away because I feel like the situation got hard and the situation is not going my way. It’s like, if I want the situation to go my way, what can I change? What can I adjust? What do I need to do to better myself?’ And it’s stay in your playbook, stay on top of everything, know so much that you move faster than ever.”
Griffin said the best decision he could make was to stay in Seattle with his brother and “fight this thing out.”
“Now it’s just full go, full blast, 100% effort, take your shot when you get it and take full advantage of opportunities,” he said.
Which he did against the Cowboys. He spent most of the game waiting, helmet on, for the opportunity.
“I was excited, man,” he said. “When I got in my brother was like, ‘Alright, make it happen.’ I’m like, ‘I got you.’ I mean, I’m excited. I wanted to be out there. I wasn’t nervous. I didn’t make the situation bigger than what it was.
“It was just, I’ve got my spot, I’ve got my job, handle your job and trust your team to handle theirs. ... I came out there, they pointed one direction, they said, ‘Handle that,’ and I said, ‘I’ve got you,’ and I just went to work.”
This story was originally published September 30, 2020 at 7:47 PM.
