February 22, 2018 – Shaquem Griffin from the Seattle Seahawks, was named the winner of the GAME CHANGER AWARD PRESENTED BY GILLETTE. The award was announced tonight at NFL HONORS – a two-hour primetime awards show that will air nationally tonight at 9 PM ET/PT on CBS.
Griffin was born with Amniotic Band Syndrome, a condition in which his left hand developed irregularly. At the age of four, Griffin had his left hand amputated. This setback did not discourage Shaquem and his twin brother, Shaquill from their dream of playing professional sports together. Growing up in Central Florida, Griffin ran track and played baseball and football. Despite his disability, Griffin’s football skills caught the attention of the University of Central Florida football program, where he and Shaquill both played. In the 2018 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks drafted Shaquem, the team his brother was already a member of, making their childhood dream a reality. Griffin has been an inspiration to young athletes all over the world, especially those who also suffer from Amniotic Band Syndrome, showing that anyone with determination can participate in any sport they set their mind to.
The Game Changer presented by Gillette was created to celebrate those who are committed to moving the game forward. This award recognizes a member of the football family who has positively contributed to the sport and his or her community.
On the eve of Super Bowl LIII, featuring the New England Patriots against the Los Angeles Rams, the NFL and THE ASSOCIATED PRESS announced their annual accolades in an awards show recognizing the best players, performances and plays from the 2018 season.
Emmy® Award-winning personality, producer and talk show host STEVE HARVEY
hosted the show, and many of the winners were on-hand to accept their awards at the Fox Theater in Atlanta.
The newest PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME class was announced and introduced during the show with the Class of 2019 appearing on stage at the Fox Theater in Atlanta.
The prestigious Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award presented by Nationwide, which recognizes a player’s off-the-field community service as well as his playing excellence, and the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award, as voted by his peers, were among the awards announced this evening.
Seven of the awards were from the AP. These awards are voted on at the end of the regular NFL season by a nationwide media panel of 50 people who regularly cover the league. The ballots are tabulated solely by the AP.
NFL Honors is an NFL Network production in association with Rock Garden Media. For more information about “NFL Honors” fans may visit http://www.nfl.com/honors and follow the #NFLHonors conversation on Twitter.