He played Gaelic football with his local club Glenbeigh-Glencar and Clonakilty in County Cork and was a member of the Kerry senior inter-county team from 1963 until 1974.
[6] On 20 June 1971, Griffin won a second National League medal after lining out at centre-forward in Kerry's 0–11 to 0–08 defeat of Mayo in the final.
He later lined out in a ninth successive Munster final on 18 July 1971, however, he ended the game on the losing side following a 0–25 to 0–14 defeat by Cork.
He later failed to command a place on the starting fifteen for the Munster Championship but claimed a seventh winners' medal on 16 July 1972 after coming on as a substitute for Éamonn O'Donoghue in the 2–21 to 2–15 defeat of Cork.
Griffin again failed to make the starting fifteen for the All-Ireland final against Offaly on 24 September 1972 but came on as a substitute for Liam Higgins in the 1–13 apiece draw.
On 6 May 1973, Griffin won a fourth National League medal as a member of the extended panel following Kerry's 2–12 to 0–14 defeat of Offaly in the final.
Griffin made his last appearance for Kerry on 16 June 1974 when he came on as a substitute for Mickey Ned O'Sullivan in a 7–16 to 0–08 defeat of Waterford in the Munster semi-final.