Olaijah Griffin
 Griffin in 2017 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born: | March 10, 1999 Mission Viejo, California, U.S. |
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight: | 176 lb (80 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school: | Mission Viejo High School |
| College: | USC |
| Position: | Cornerback |
| Undrafted: | 2021 |
| Career history | |
| * Offseason and/or practice squad member only | |
| Stats at Pro Football Reference | |
Olaijah Griffin (born March 10, 1999) is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He played college football at USC and was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2021.
High school career
[edit]Griffin played the positions of cornerback and wide receiver while on the Mission Viejo football team. Between 2015 and 2017 during his freshman, sophomore and junior seasons, Griffin and the team earned numerous regional, state and All-American accolades. In his senior season in 2017, Griffin earned personal distinctions including the Los Angeles Times' All-Area Back of the Year award and the All-South Coast League MVP award.[1]
College career
[edit]As a freshman cornerback during the 2018 season with the USC Trojans, Griffin only played 8 games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in the game against Colorado. After surgery, Griffin joined the 2019 spring practice at a limited capacity while he continued recovery. He went on to start 10 of the 11 games during the 2019 season. However, Griffin injured his back during the game against Utah. This injury caused him to miss the Trojans' game against Washington. Griffin was cleared to play again, only to reinjure his back during the game against Notre Dame. Griffin returned in his junior year for the 2020 season where he started in 5 of the total 6 games played prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. During his sophomore and junior seasons, Griffin earned All-Pac-12 honorable mentions. While at USC, Griffin majored in communication.[1]
Griffin only played three seasons of college football as he declared for the 2021 NFL Draft along with junior season teammates Alijah Vera-Tucker and Talanoa Hufanga.[2]
Professional career
[edit]| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11+3⁄8 in (1.81 m) |
176 lb (80 kg) |
31+7⁄8 in (0.81 m) |
8+3⁄4 in (0.22 m) |
4.57 s | 1.59 s | 2.66 s | 4.38 s | 7.04 s | 34.0 in (0.86 m) |
9 ft 11 in (3.02 m) | ||
| All values from Pro Day[3][4][5] | ||||||||||||
Buffalo Bills
[edit]After going unselected in the 2021 NFL draft, Griffin was signed by the Buffalo Bills as an undrafted free agent.[6] He was released at the final roster cuts but re-signed to the practice squad the next day, where he spent the rest of the 2021 season.[7][8] He was signed to a two-year futures contract on January 24, 2022.[9] He was waived on August 14, 2022.[10]
New York Giants
[edit]On August 15, 2022, Griffin was claimed off waivers by the New York Giants.[11] He was waived on August 29, 2022.[12] The Giants re-signed Griffin to their practice squad on September 28.[13] He was released on November 8, 2022.[14]
Seattle Sea Dragons
[edit]On April 13, 2023, Grffin signed with the Seattle Sea Dragons of the XFL.[15] The Sea Dragons folded when the XFL and USFL merged to create the United Football League (UFL).[16]
Personal life
[edit]Griffin is the son of rapper Warren G and step-nephew of rapper and producer Dr. Dre.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Olaijah Griffin USC Profile" at USC Trojans.com. Retrieved December 7, 2023
- ^ "Olaijah O.G. Griffin" at LA Times.com. Retrieved December 7, 2023
- ^ "Olaijah Griffin Draft and Combine Prospect Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- ^ "2021 Draft Scout Olaijah Griffin, Southern California NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- ^ "Olaijah Griffin 2021 NFL Draft Profile". insider.espn.com. Retrieved November 24, 2022.
- ^ Zemek, Matt (May 1, 2021). "USC's Olaijah Griffin signs with Bills as undrafted free agent". USA Today. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
- ^ Pattison, Claudette Montana (August 31, 2021). "Olaijah Griffin Released By Buffalo Bills". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
- ^ Talbot, Ryan (September 1, 2021). "Buffalo Bills announce 2021 practice squad". Syracuse.com. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
- ^ a b "Buffalo Bills Signing Ex-USC CB Olaijah Griffin to 'Futures Deal'". Sports Illustrated. January 24, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
- ^ "NFL news roundup: Latest league updates from Sunday, Aug. 14". NFL.com. August 14, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
- ^ Eisen, Michael (August 15, 2022). "Giants claim DB Olaijah Griffin off waivers from Buffalo Bills". Giants.com. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
- ^ Eisen, Michael (August 29, 2022). "Giants waive 7 players ahead of roster deadline". Giants.com. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
- ^ Eisen, Michael (September 28, 2022). "Giants sign CB Fabian Moreau off practice squad; Sterling Shepard to IR". Giants.com. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ Salomone, Dan (November 8, 2022). "Giants sign DT Aaron Crawford to practice squad; DB Olaijah Griffin released". Giants.com. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
- ^ "XFL Transactions". www.xfl.com. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
- ^ Seifert, Kevin (January 1, 2024). "Newly formed United Football League sets 8 markets, tabs coaches". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 15, 2024.