Former NFL Linebacker Shaquem Griffin Brings a Message of Perseverance to Commencement 2025

Shaquem Griffin, an accomplished football player who made history as the NFL’s first-ever one-handed player and who now seeks to inspire others to overcome adversity, was chosen as keynote speaker for Pitzer College’s Commencement 2025 ceremony held this spring.

As a child, Griffin experienced a rare condition called amniotic band syndrome, and his left hand had to be amputated. His family supported him and encouraged him to face every challenge with determination. In college, he was selected as first-team All-American Athletic Conference linebacker, AAC Defensive Player of the Year, and National Champion and Peach Bowl MVP.                                                                                                                                                                                    

In the NFL, he was a linebacker for the Seattle Seahawks from 2018 to 2020 and played for the Miami Dolphins during the 2021 season before retiring from the NFL in 2022. His story has been told in an Emmy award-winning NFL short film and in the memoir Inseparable: How Family and Sacrifice Forged a Path to the NFL.

“Nobody was ever going to tell me that I didn’t belong on a football field,” Griffin has said of the challenges he faced. “And nobody was ever going to tell me that I couldn’t be great.”

It is part of Pitzer tradition for the graduating class to select their commencement speaker. In addition to the speaker, graduating seniors also choose their class speaker, student marshals, and honored guest.

Watch Commencement 2025

To view Pitzer's 61st ceremony on May 17 as a livestream or video, visit the Commencement page.