Β had to wait longer than anyone wanted him to. But when he was finally selected, it was incredible news. Shaquem was selected in the fifth round with the 141st pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.
βThis is not the end of my road β¦ itβs only just the beginning,β Shaquem said to ESPN.
In the end, it wasnβt the when, it was the who that made the story.
Shaquem was chosen by the Seattle Seahawks, reuniting him on the same football team with his twin brother.Β Β was a third-round choice by the Seahawks one year ago.
βThis is not the end of my road … itβs only just the beginning,β Shaquem said to ESPN. βAnd Iβm going to keep proving people wrong because I have a lot of people to prove wrong — a lot of doubters. I would wait all over again for the opportunity to be back with my brother.β
Shaquem wasΒ a first-team All-American Athletic Conference selection each of the last two seasons. He was the AACβs Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 and was named the defensive MVP of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, which completed ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½βsΒ National Championship, undefeated,13-0 season in 2017.
Defensive backΒ Mike HughesΒ was selected by the Minnesota Vikings, wide receiverΒ TreβQuan SmithΒ was selected by the New Orleans Saints, and tight endΒ Jordan AkinsΒ was chosen by the Houston Texans.
Griffin was one of four Knights selected in one NFL Draft for the second time in school history.Β Defensive backΒ Mike Hughes was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round, wide receiver TreβQuan Smith was selected by the New Orleans Saints as the 27th pick of the third round, and tight endΒ Jordan Akins was chosen by the Houston Texans as the 34th pick of the third round. Hughes became the fourth ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ player selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. He follows Daunte Culpepper (1999, 11th overall), Blake Bortles (2014, 3rd overall) and Breshad Perriman (2015, 26th overall) as Knights selected in the first round.
The last time four ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ football players were selected in the NFL Draft was 2003, when Asante Samuel, Doug Gabriel, Mike Mabry and Elton Patterson were chosen.
Griffin becomes the 40th ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ player selected in NFL Draft. He is the 19th ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ defensive player selected in NFL Draft. Heβs the third linebacker from the Knights to go in the NFL Draft. Hereβs a look at the other two:
– Bob Spitulski (1992, 66th)
– Rick Hamilton (1993, 71st)
This is just the second time in ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ historyΒ that two defensive players have been selected in the same NFL Draft. Prior toΒ Mike HughesΜύ²Ή²Τ»εΜύ, it was Samuel (120th overall) and Patterson (259th overall) in 2003.
Four other ΒιΆΉΣ³»΄«Γ½ players signed to NFL teams over the weekend as undrafted free agents. Defensive tackleΒ Jamiyus Pittman joined the Miami Dolphins, offensive lineΒ Aaron Evans signed to the Philadelphia Eagles, defensive lineΒ Tony Guerad joined the Jacksonville Jaguars and tight endΒ Jordan Franks signed with theΒ Cincinnati Bengals.
