View source for Quentin Griffin

{{Short description|American gridiron football player (born 1981)}}
{{BLP sources|date=June 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name          = Quentin Griffin
| image         = 
| caption       =
| number        = 22
| position      = [[Running back]]
| birth_date    = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1981|1|12}}
| birth_place   = [[Houston, Texas]], U.S.
| height_ft     = 5
| height_in     = 7
| weight_lbs    = 195
| high_school   = [[Nimitz High School (Harris County, Texas)|Nimitz]] (Houston)
| college       = [[Oklahoma Sooners football|Oklahoma]]
| draftyear     = 2003
| draftround    = 4
| draftpick     = 108
| undraftedyear = 
| pastteams     =
* [[Denver Broncos]] ({{NFL Year|2003}}–{{NFL Year|2005}})
* [[Kansas City Chiefs]] ({{NFL Year|2006}})*
* [[Hamburg Sea Devils (NFL Europe)|Hamburg Sea Devils]] ({{HSD season|2007}})
* [[Saskatchewan Roughriders]] ({{CFL Year|2008}})*
* [[Kiel Baltic Hurricanes]] (2013)
| highlights    =
* [[BCS national champion]] ([[2001 Orange Bowl|2000]])
* Second-team [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[2002 College Football All-America Team|2002]])
* First-team All-[[Big 12 Conference|Big 12]] ([[2002 All-Big 12 Conference football team|2002]])
| statlabel1    = [[Carry (American football)|Rushing attempts]]
| statvalue1    = 179
| statlabel2    = [[Rushing yards]]
| statvalue2    = 656
| statlabel3    = [[Touchdown|Rushing touchdowns]]
| statvalue3    = 2
| statlabel4    = [[Reception (American football)|Receptions]]
| statvalue4    = 18
| statlabel5    = [[Receiving yards]]
| statvalue5    = 129
| statlabel6    = [[Touchdown|Receiving touchdowns]]
| statvalue6    = 1
}}
'''Quentin LaVell Griffin''' (born January 12, 1981) is an American former professional [[American football|football]] player who was a [[running back]] for the [[Denver Broncos]] of the [[National Football League]] (NFL). He played [[college football]] for the [[Oklahoma Sooners football|Oklahoma Sooners]].

==Early life== 
Griffin started his football career as a youth playing in the Humble Area Football League. Griffin starred at [[Nimitz High School (Harris County, Texas)|Nimitz High School]] in Houston.

==College career==
As a sophomore at [[Oklahoma Sooners|Oklahoma]], Griffin ran for 783 yards and 16 [[touchdown]]s and added 45 [[Reception (American football)|receptions]] for 406 yards. He was an All-[[Big 12 Conference|Big 12]] first team selection and was named to the Big 12 All-academic team, his first of three consecutive nominations to both squads. Junior totals were 182 for 884 with 9 touchdowns on the ground with 55 for 448 and 2 touchdowns as a receiver, and as a senior totaled 287 carries for 1,884 yards with 15 scores, placing him second in the league for rushing. Also caught 35 passes for 264 yards with three additional scores. The three-year [[Starting lineup|starter]] helped his school win a [[2001 Orange Bowl|national championship in 2000]] and he finished fourth in school history in career rushing yards (3,756), third in touchdowns (44) and chose to preserve [[Billy Sims]]’ record and finish second in [[all-purpose yards]] (4,973). He had an Oklahoma-record six rushing touchdowns against [[Texas Longhorns football|Texas]] in 2000.<ref>[https://archive.today/20140303211854/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/college/news/2000/10/12/star_griffin/ Oklahoma RB Griffin finds success with a passing team]</ref>

==Professional career==
{{NFL predraft
| height ft    = 5
| height in    = 7
| weight       = 195
| arm span     = 30
| hand span    = 9+1/4
| dash         = 4.50
| ten split    = 1.54
| twenty split = 2.55
| shuttle      = 4.08
| cone drill   = 
| vertical     = 38
| broad ft     = 10
| broad in     = 3
| bench        = 21
| wonderlic    = 
| note         = All values from [[NFL Scouting Combine|NFL Combine]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://draftscout.com/dsprofile.php?PlayerId=720&DraftYear=2003 |title=Quentin Griffin, Oklahoma, RB, 2003 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football |website=DraftScout.com}}</ref>
}}

Griffin was selected by the [[Denver Broncos]] of the [[National Football League]] with the 11th pick of the fourth round (108th overall) in the [[2003 NFL draft]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2003 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2003/draft.htm |access-date=March 28, 2023 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> He went on to appear in 16 games, including five starts in his initial two seasons in the league.  He even set a Broncos franchise record in 2004 for most rushing yards in a season opener with a career-high 156 yards on 23 carries against the [[Kansas City Chiefs]] while also scoring the first three touchdowns of his pro career.  His rise to the top came to a sudden halt in 2004 when he tore the [[Anterior cruciate ligament|ACL]] in his right knee in Week 7, ending his season early.<ref>{{cite web | title=Broncos will lose Griffin for year | website=Las Vegas Sun | date=2004-10-27 | url=https://lasvegassun.com/news/2004/oct/27/broncos-will-lose-griffin-for-year/ | access-date=2025-09-05}}</ref>

Although he was highly productive in two seasons with the Broncos, totaling 179 rushes for 656 yards (3.7 avg.) and two touchdowns, in addition to catching 18 passes for 129 yards and one score, the injury caused him to drop to the bottom of the [[National Football League depth chart|depth chart]] behind [[Mike Anderson (running back)|Mike Anderson]], [[Tatum Bell]] and [[Ron Dayne]].  In September 2005, Denver released Griffin and then brought him back a few weeks later, only to release him again the next month, but this time for good.

In March 2006, Griffin agreed to terms with the Kansas City Chiefs on a one-year deal, but in September 2006, he was cut from the team.

On February 23, 2007, Griffin was chosen by the [[Hamburg Sea Devils (NFL Europe)|Hamburg Sea Devils]] as the second overall pick in the [[NFL Europa]] Free Agent Draft. Griffin was the Sea Devils' top rusher with a 4.6 yard average and was third-best among starting running backs in the NFLE. The multi-dimensional Griffin also led NFL Europa in [[kickoff return]] average.

On February 29, 2008, he was signed to a one-year plus an option year contract with the [[Saskatchewan Roughriders]]. He was released by the Roughriders on June 20, 2008, following the team's final preseason game. According to media reports, Roughriders' head coach [[Ken Miller (football coach)|Ken Miller]] was "so upset with Griffin following (the game) that he cut the former NFLer at the airport." Griffin had reportedly pulled himself out of the game early in the second quarter, telling the coaches "he didn't have any interest in playing a preseason game where he might get hurt."<ref name="released_Roughriders">{{cite web|url=http://www.canada.com/reginaleaderpost/news/sports/roughriders/story.html?id=a3b489f4-bcda-463f-b869-07bde38308a0|title=Foord could be a find|work=[[Regina Leader-Post]]|date=June 20, 2008|access-date=June 21, 2008}}</ref>

In July 2013, Griffin signed with the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes in Germany (GFL1). As of 2016, he is no longer on the team because the running back transitioned from playing football to coaching football.

==Coaching==
Griffin took his first coaching job with Missouri Southern State University. In July 2018, he left MSSU for the position of running backs coach for the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) Panthers.<ref name="Transition_to_Coaching">{{cite web|url=https://unipanthers.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/quentin-griffin/714|title=UNI Football Quentin Griffin|work=[[University of Northern Iowa]]|date=July 2018|access-date=January 6, 2022}}</ref> After one season at UNI, Griffin took a position as Assistant Football Coach (Running Backs) at Blinn College in Brenham, Texas.<ref name="Moves to Blinn College">{{cite web|url=https://www.buccaneersports.com/sports/fball/coaches/Quentin_Griffin_Bio?view=bio|title=Football Quentin Griffin|work=[[Blinn College]]|date=July 2019|access-date=January 8, 2022}}{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{2000 Oklahoma Sooners football navbox}}
{{Broncos2003DraftPicks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Griffin, Quentin}}
[[Category:1981 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Houston]]
[[Category:Players of Canadian football from Houston]]
[[Category:American football running backs]]
[[Category:Oklahoma Sooners football players]]
[[Category:Denver Broncos players]]
[[Category:Kansas City Chiefs players]]
[[Category:Hamburg Sea Devils players]]
[[Category:Saskatchewan Roughriders players]]
[[Category:Coaches of American football from Texas]]