Steelers LB Ryan Shazier Is Making ‘Amazing Progress’ And Is Back To Jogging Again

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Ryan Shazier of the Pittsburgh Steelers sure is a fighter, man. After sustaining a serious injury to his spinal cord during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals back in the 2017 NFL season, the linebacker’s life was turned upside down, with doctors needing to quickly perform surgery. It’s the ultimate fear of any pro football player, but Shazier hasn’t let it get him down.

Here’s another look at the awkward tackle from Ryan Shazier in that Bengals game, which required doctors to perform spinal stabilization surgery just days after. It’s tough to watch, as the linebacker went in awkwardly for a tackle and had his spinal cord absorb the brunt of the collision.

Vowing to not only walk again, but play in the NFL again, Ryan Shazier isn’t just inspiring people on his road to recovery from the nasty injury through his words, but he’s putting those thoughts into actions. And, according to Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney II, the linebacker from Ohio State is showing serious signs of improvement, with Rooney saying Shazier is making “amazing progress.”

Per Total Pro Sports, via Triblive:

“Almost every week, he’s doing something he wasn’t doing the week before,” Rooney said. “He’s a remarkable young man and an inspiration to everybody around here.”

This isn’t just awesome news, but it’s also remarkable considering Ryan Shazier could barely walk on his own power this time last year. And, while the 26-year-old linebacker is scheduled to become a free agent in a month or so, Trib Live reports that Rooney indicated that the Steelers would “sign him to a contract so he could continue to rehabilitate with them.” Just awesome stuff all around.

While the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to make headlines for some dysfunction between the front office, head coach and some of its players — namely wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell — it’s this story about Ryan Shazier that fans should really focus on more, because it’s inspiring and amazing that he’s on his way back. Here’s to hoping he continues to improve and, one day, gets the chance to live out his goal of playing in the NFL again; I know I’ll be rooting for him.

(H/T Total Pro Sports)

Nick Dimengo avatar
Nick's a Sr. Editor for BroBible, mainly relying on his Sports Encyclopedia-like mind to write about things. He's also the co-host of the BroBible podcast "We Run This," and can be seen sweating his ass off while frequently running 10+ miles around Seattle.