Shaquem Griffin will share his story on Tuesday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m. in the auditorium of the Perkins Student Center, 4080 Tulpehocken Road, Reading, on the Penn State Berks Campus. This event is free and open to the public.

Shaquem was born minutes after his twin, Shaquill. At birth, Shaquem experienced a rare condition called amniotic band syndrome, and his hand ultimately had to be amputated when he was 4 years old. His family refused to treat him any differently than his brother, and his motto has been "Please don't tell me what I can't do."

The twins went on to play football in high school and in college at the University of Central Florida (UCF). Shaquem's collegiate accomplishments include first-team All-American Athletic Conference linebacker, AAC Defensive Player of the Year, National Champion, and Peach Bowl MVP. After a notable performance at the NFL Combine, he was selected as a linebacker by the Seattle Seahawks; his brother was also drafted by Seattle. His most memorable on-the-field highlight was sacking Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers during the playoffs in 2020.

Shaquem's story is captured in the Emmy award-winning short film "NFL 360: I Am Shaquem Griffin" and in his biography, titled "Inseparable: How Family and Sacrifice Forged a Path to the NFL."

The event is sponsored by the Penn State Berks Arts and Lecture Series. For more information, contact the Office of Campus Life at 610-396-6076.