According to ESPN on Thursday, two National Football League players announced their retirement. They were Cleveland Browns center J.C. Tretter of Batavia, New York, and Seattle Seahawks outside linebacker Shaquem Griffin of St. Petersburg, Florida.
Tretter and Griffin had more significance to the NFL than just their on field presence. Tretter is the president of the NFL Players Association, a position he will continue to have despite the fact he is no longer active on the field. Griffin, meanwhile is an iconic role model who has had an impact beyond sport. Why? It is because he played in the NFL with only one hand. He was born with amniotic band syndrome. Griffin grew up in so much pain, his parents scheduled for his amputation at age four.
Tretter played eight seasons with the Green Bay Packers and Browns from 2014 to 2021. He played 111 games and had three fumble recoveries. Tretter was the fourth round draft pick, 122nd overall, in the 2013 NFL Draft. He played his college football at Cornell University.
Griffin played three seasons with the Seahawks from 2018 to 2020. He then signed a one-year contract with the Miami Dolphins on July 23, 2021, but was released on October 19, and never played a game as we was on the practice squad.
In 46 games with the Seahawks, Griffin had 25 combined tackles (17 solo tackles and eight assisted tackles), one tackle for a loss, one sack, one pass deflection, and six quarterback hits. Griffin’s pass deflection came in a 38-31 Seahawks win over the Dallas Cowboys on September 27, 2020. Griffin’s sack and tackle for a loss came in a 40-3 Seahawks win over the New York Jets on December 13, 2020.
Griffin played his College Football at Central Florida. He was the Seahawks’ fifth pick, 141st overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.
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