MOBILE, Ala. -- Whether or not Shaquem Griffin can succeed in the NFL without a left hand isn't the only question coaches and scouts have about the UCF linebacker at the Reese's Senior Bowl.
They're also unsure about what position will suit him best at the next level, and Houston Texans coach Bill O'Brien, coach of the Senior Bowl South squad, is obliging evaluators will all kinds of looks at Griffin, one of college football's most inspiring stories.
"We're trying to move him around. I think that's what the NFL wants to see, so we're trying to do things so everybody can get a look at him at safety, at linebacker, and maybe even as a DPR (designated pass rusher) and on special teams," O'Brien said. "We moved him around a lot (Wednesday)."
Griffin, in turn, didn't mind at all being jostled all over the practice field. After all, he's trying to become the first one-handed player in the modern era to be drafted into the NFL.
"It felt a little like a rollercoaster. I'm down in the dirt taking on 300-pound linemen, then I'm back in space covering small, fast guys. It's awesome. I'm smiling all over the place. I'm enjoying every single moment, every single position they put me in," Griffin said. "... We're going to get a chance to watch film and critique what I did. I guess I'm going to be moving rooms a lot, to get to all the coaches and get some feedback from everybody."
Griffin was born with a deformed left hand that was amputated at age 4. Despite that, he was an outstanding two-year starter at UCF under former coach Scott Frost, and was named the 2016 AAC Defensive Player of the Year. He was a pass-rushing linebacker for the Knights, however, and at 6-foot-1, 220 pounds, he's undersized for that role in the NFL. So O'Brien is letting NFL scouts see him in various capacities as they begin to evaluate how he could contribute.
Griffin caught O'Brien's attention in more ways than one.
"What a kid. I've been impressed with him in the meeting room and on the practice field," O'Brien said. "He's got a way of playing relative to what his limitations are physically. He's got a way of playing that is really interesting to watch. He's going to be an interesting guy to evaluate. He's a tough guy, he's fast, he's good on special teams and a fun kid to coach."
Griffin said he's lost count of how many NFL clubs have interviewed him this week, but recalled three: the Oakland Raiders, New York Giants and New York Jets. While the Texans coaching staff is working with him on football technique, the scouts' questions are more centered around his personality.
"I'm pretty sure some of the coaches are really liking who I am as a person," he said.
Griffin said he hasn't yet received an invitation to the NFL Scouting Combine, but is hoping to get the opportunity to show NFL teams more at the Indianapolis event in early March.
*Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter **@ChaseGoodbread*.
