Steelers LB Ryan Shazier announces retirement
- 4 years ago
NewNews
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ryan Shazier wants to make something clear. His comeback from a spinal injury suffered nearly three years ago remains very much on course. The end, however, won’t include the Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker triumphantly running out onto the Heinz Field turf wearing his No. 50 jersey while waving a Terrible Towel. For all the progress he’s made since that frightening night in Cincinnati in December 2017 — when Shazier’s ever-churning legs went lifeless following a routine tackle on Bengals wide receiver Josh Malone — standing in the huddle next to good friend and “Shake and Bake” partner Vince Williams is no longer an option. Just don’t mistake the retirement Shazier announced Wednesday as succumbing to the inevitable. He’s still playing the game. Just in a different way. And he can still hit. Just ask his oldest son Ryan Jr.“He tried to run away from me and I actually tackled him as if I was playing a football game,” Shazier said. “I think I tackled him a little too hard, but it was kind of funny. I thought it was kind of an achievement that I actually was able to tackle my son, even though he’s not an NFL running back. I thought it was kind of cool just to be able to chase your son and be able to play with him.”The two-time Pro Bowler insists he’s not angry at how things turned out. He’s not upset a play that began so innocently ended up requiring him to undergo spine stabilization surgery. That procedure forced him to the physically unable to perform list in 2018 and 2019 even as his rehabilitation became an inspirational touchstone. Less than six months removed from leaving Paul Brown Stadium in an ambulance unsure if he would walk again, Shazier strode out onto the stage at the 2018 NFL draft to announce the Steelers’ first-round pick. He became a fixture at the club’s practice facility. Social media posts chronicling his progress have frequently gone viral, replete with the #Shalieve hashtag. Shazier, taken with the 15th overall pick in 2014, understands his grace and grit in the midst of such a shocking setback have turned him into an icon of sorts on the merits of perseverance. It’s a responsibility he will gladly shoulder heading into the next chapter of his life. In addition to beginning an NFL-centric podcast, Shazier plans to devote more time to the Shalieve Fight Foundation, which is dedicated to assisting people with spinal cord injuries.
All data is taken from the source: http://wtop.com
Article Link: https://wtop.com/nfl/2020/09/steelers-lb-ryan-shazier-announces-retirement/
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ryan Shazier wants to make something clear. His comeback from a spinal injury suffered nearly three years ago remains very much on course. The end, however, won’t include the Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker triumphantly running out onto the Heinz Field turf wearing his No. 50 jersey while waving a Terrible Towel. For all the progress he’s made since that frightening night in Cincinnati in December 2017 — when Shazier’s ever-churning legs went lifeless following a routine tackle on Bengals wide receiver Josh Malone — standing in the huddle next to good friend and “Shake and Bake” partner Vince Williams is no longer an option. Just don’t mistake the retirement Shazier announced Wednesday as succumbing to the inevitable. He’s still playing the game. Just in a different way. And he can still hit. Just ask his oldest son Ryan Jr.“He tried to run away from me and I actually tackled him as if I was playing a football game,” Shazier said. “I think I tackled him a little too hard, but it was kind of funny. I thought it was kind of an achievement that I actually was able to tackle my son, even though he’s not an NFL running back. I thought it was kind of cool just to be able to chase your son and be able to play with him.”The two-time Pro Bowler insists he’s not angry at how things turned out. He’s not upset a play that began so innocently ended up requiring him to undergo spine stabilization surgery. That procedure forced him to the physically unable to perform list in 2018 and 2019 even as his rehabilitation became an inspirational touchstone. Less than six months removed from leaving Paul Brown Stadium in an ambulance unsure if he would walk again, Shazier strode out onto the stage at the 2018 NFL draft to announce the Steelers’ first-round pick. He became a fixture at the club’s practice facility. Social media posts chronicling his progress have frequently gone viral, replete with the #Shalieve hashtag. Shazier, taken with the 15th overall pick in 2014, understands his grace and grit in the midst of such a shocking setback have turned him into an icon of sorts on the merits of perseverance. It’s a responsibility he will gladly shoulder heading into the next chapter of his life. In addition to beginning an NFL-centric podcast, Shazier plans to devote more time to the Shalieve Fight Foundation, which is dedicated to assisting people with spinal cord injuries.
All data is taken from the source: http://wtop.com
Article Link: https://wtop.com/nfl/2020/09/steelers-lb-ryan-shazier-announces-retirement/