Shaquem Griffin Wins Jason Witten Collegiate Man Of The Year Award

Shaquem Griffin Wins Jason Witten Collegiate Man Of The Year Award

UCF linebacker Shaquem Griffin has been named the recipient of the inaugural Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award.

Feb 23, 2018 by Kolby Paxton
Shaquem Griffin Wins Jason Witten Collegiate Man Of The Year Award

Central Florida linebacker Shaquem Griffin has been announced as the recipient of the inaugural Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year Award, which is named after the Dallas Cowboys tight end and honors outstanding leadership both on and off the field in college football.

The field of candidates started with 155 players before Witten and a board narrowed the field to three finalists: Griffin, along with Alabama’s Minkah Fitzpatrick and Oklahoma State quarterback Mason Rudolph.


“That’s what tonight is all about, three great student-athletes that embody all the traits that you want, not only in a teammate but in a student-athlete, how they carry themselves on campus and certainly on the football field,” Witten said on the Dallas Cowboys’ team website.

Griffin was born without the use of his left hand, which was ultimately amputated when he was 4 years old. Nonetheless, the Florida native rose to stardom as an All-American Athletic Conference linebacker at UCF — and was named Defensive MVP of the Peach Bowl on Dec. 31.

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“When you see some of his highlights and you see the kid play, it’s really remarkable,” Witten said. “Over the last 20, 25 years of my life I’ve been playing football. To think to do that without one of my limbs, it’s really remarkable, just the fact that he’s out there, he’s out there on that stage playing big-time Division I college football. And then to be good and to be successful, it shows his courage, his toughness, and really he has no quit in him.”

Griffin is currently training for the NFL Combine at the Michael Johnson Performance Center in McKinney, Texas. He is one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2018 draft class.