Tag: Ryan Shazier

Remembering former Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier in retirement

Former Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier officially retires from football. We thank him for being an inspiration on and off the field.

Sometimes we all forget that football players are human. We see them out on the field and they seem almost superhuman at times. They run faster, hit harder, battle through injuries, and do things with their bodies many can only dream of. It isn’t until something happens or we reflect on their careers that we remember they are mortal. Such is the case with the heroic story of former Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier.

During his time with the Buckeyes, Shazier was an absolute beast. His hard-hitting style, mixed with high football IQ, helped him excel at Ohio State. This led him to be drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first round of 2014 NFL Draft.

The start of his career was on a trajectory to be one of the best linebackers in the NFL. But in 2017 his outstanding career took a massive hit when suffered not only a career-threatening injury, but an injury where it was unsure if he could walk again. The Steelers did the right thing and placed him on the reserve/retired list.

On Wednesday it was made official. Ryan Shazier officially retired from football. The bigger picture is that Shazier can walk, and while his future is unknown, he could have a career in coaching or doing something else big.

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With all the respect in the world from the Ohio State faithful and football fans of all teams, both professional and in college, we here at Buckeyes Wire say thank you to Ryan. You have been an inspiration to many, both on and off the field. May your future continue to shine, and one day, maybe we will see you walking a sideline again.

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Steelers LB Ryan Shazier emotionally announces his retirement

Ryan Shazier made an emotional speech on social media to announce his retirement from football.

Legendary Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier officially announced his retirement on Wednesday in an emotional video on social media.

“Football gave me everything I ever wanted and more … I’m here today to make sure the world knows how much I still love football. … Today I am officially retiring from the game I love so much.”

“When you play the game of football the way I did, you convince yourself you’re Superman. That nothing can stop you, but then the moment I got hurt, I stopped being Superman.”

In 46 games, the two-time Pro Bowler amassed 300 tackles (24 for loss), 18 quarterback hits, seven sacks, seven forced fumbles and seven interceptions.

Shazier, the Steelers 2014 first-round draft pick out of Ohio State, had a tremendous career cut short in one devastating and life-altering moment.

On Dec. 4, 2017, Shazier suffered a spinal cord during a Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 13. On Cincinnati’s first possession of the game, after a tackle on a Bengals receiver, Shazier went to the ground clutching his back. What looked to be a standard football tackle became anything but when Shazier laid motionless on the field.

After several minutes of being attended to by medical staff, Shazier was carted off the field on a backboard and taken to a Cincinnati hospital. There began the process of a lengthy journey back to health.

On Jan. 4, 2018, Shazier’s father shared that his son had regained feeling in his legs. According to Stephen J. Nesbitt of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Shazier had been told by doctors that he had less than a 20 percent chance to walk again.

Shazier took that as a challenge and persevered. Just three months later, he walked for the first time in public to announce the Steelers first-round draft selection — where his name had been called four years earlier.

That summer, Shazier made an appearance at the Steelers annual Friday Night Lights practice and was able to walk unassisted onto the field.

Shazier fought a brave and enduring battle toward recovery. There were even moments when Steelers Nation thought he might return to the game.

“My dream is to come back and play football again,” Shazier said in a June 2018 press conference. “I’ve been working my tail off every day, and I have that in the back of my mind every day I go to rehab.”

Shazier made an inspirational return to Paul Brown Stadium, the scene where the injury occurred a year earlier, and could often be found on the sidelines coaching linebackers. The team stood by Shazier and, despite the odds of a return, kept him under contract the past two seasons.

In March, the Steelers announced Shazier had been placed on the reserve/retired list, ultimately ending his playing career.

Last week, the Steelers former linebacker said he was taking his life in a different direction. Shazier would no longer be part of the Steelers organization in an official capacity.

Ryan Shazier was the epitome of a Steelers linebacker, and his contributions as a player, coach and mentor will never be forgotten. Superman he was, and always will be, for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Steelers Wire wishes Ryan all the best in whatever the future brings!

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Steelers LB Ryan Shazier posts emotional retirement video

Ryan Shazier of the Steelers announced his retirement. The linebacker suffered a spinal contusion in 2017.

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier announced his retirement Wednesday in an emotional video.

The first-round pick from Ohio State in 2014 was injured Dec. 4, 2017, suffering a spinal contusion while making a tackle against the Cincinnati Bengals.

He has vigorously rehabbed since and has been an inspiration to the team, NFL, and football universe.

“Football gave me everything I could ever want and more. It taught me about hard work, dedication, teamwork,” he said in a social media message. “It took me to college and the NFL. It made me money. It gave me a life that most people can only dream about. I’m here today to make sure the world knows how much I still love football. How grateful I am for everything football gave me. And I’m here to let the world know that today I am officially retiring from the game I love so much.”

“When you play the game of football the way I did, you convince yourself you’re Superman, that nothing can stop you,” Shazier said. “But then the moment I got hurt, I stopped being Superman, and that was difficult to make sense. But the way I look at it, God put us all here for a purpose. For 20 years, he let me play football. And now it’s time for me to do what he wants me to do.”

Former Steelers LB Ryan Shazier announces retirement from football

Ryan Shazier is stepping away from football, three years after his devastating injury.

Three years after suffering a devastating spinal injury during a Monday Night Football game against the Bengals, former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier announced Wednesday that he is officially retiring from the game of football.

Shazier may not have returned to the NFL field as he had hoped, but his comeback has been remarkable. Shazier was hospitalized for nearly two months after undergoing a spine stabilization. 10 months after his injury, Shazier attended a game in Cincinnati and was able to visit the doctors in the University of Cincinnati Medical Center to thank them for their care. In 2019, Shazier was able to dance at his wedding.

In his message to fans, Shazier said he plans to “see what else life has to offer” beyond football in the coming years.

“I’m here today to make sure the world knows how much I still love football, how grateful I am for everything football gave me, and I’m here to let the world know that today I am officially retiring from the game I love so much. It’s been over 1,000 days since I got hurt on the field. To lose the game in a way I never envisioned has not been easy. When you play the game of football the way I did, you convince yourself you’re Superman. That nothing can stop you. But then, the moment I got hurt, I stopped being Superman, and that was difficult to make sense. But the way I look at it, God put us all here for a purpose. For 20 years, he let me play football, and now it’s time for me to do what he wants me to do. I’m going to step away from the game for a while and see what else life has to offer.”

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Former Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier officially retires from football

Former Ohio State and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier released a video on Twitter officially retiring from football.

Former Ohio State and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier is officially retiring from football according to a statement and video he shared on his Twitter profile Wednesday.

You know the story well. Shazier was an All-American at Ohio State, was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers and was carving out a fantastic career in the Steel City when he suffered a spinal chord injury during a Monday night game against Cincinnati on December 4, 2017.

Since then, his story has been one of inspiration for many. Doctors didn’t know if he’d ever walk again, but he worked hard on his recovery and slowly got himself from standing, to moving around with the aid of walking devices, to walking on his own.

It’s been quite the journey and one that he hoped would result in him getting back on the football field someday, but that looks like it is no longer in the plans — at least for now.

You can watch the emotional video of Shazier’s retirement announcement below,

 

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History of the Pittsburgh Steelers versus Cincinnati Bengals

A weekly series examining the history of the Steelers versus their 2020 opponents.

This is the ninth in a 13-part weekly series examing the history of the Pittsburgh Steelers versus their 2020 opponents. 

Over the last decade, the Steelers have owned the Cincinnati Bengals with an 18-3 record. Rookie Joe Burrow has taken over the Bengals quarterback position and will, undoubtedly, have something to say about their future contests versus the Steelers. Let’s take a look at the history between these franchises.

First game: Nov. 2, 1970 (Steelers, 21  Bengals, 10)

Head-to-head record: 66-35

Points scored: Pittsburgh, 2236  Cincinnati, 1753

Longest winning streak: Steelers (10)

Postseason matchups: 2 (Steelers)

In the 101 games between the Steelers and the Bengals, there has never been a tie.

The biggest blowout of the series occurred in 2011 when the Steelers defeated the Bengals, 35-7.

Pittsburgh has been on the winning end of both of the series shutouts — the first went down on Oct. 19, 1992, when they blanked the Bengals, 20-0. On Oct. 15, 2000, the Steelers handed the winless Bengals their second shutout, 15-0.

The most exciting game in recent history was, without a doubt, the 2016 Wild Card. In the third quarter, the Steelers were ahead 9-0 thanks to three Chris Boswell field goals. A Ben Roethlisberger to Martavis Bryant connection midway through the third put the Steelers up 15-0 after a failed two-point conversion. But the Bengals weren’t giving up, and the Steelers wouldn’t score again until the game-winning field goal with 14 seconds left.

After a rough start, it appeared as if the Bengals were going to beat the Steelers 16-15 and head to the divisional round of the playoffs. Then, in the final minutes of the game, linebacker Ryan Shazier forced running back Jeremy Hill to fumble, and cornerback Ross Cockrell covered. Roethlisberger, who returned moments earlier from a shoulder injury, wasn’t able to connect with his receivers. Back-to-back penalties, one from Vontez Burfict and the second from Adam “Pacman” Jones gave the Steelers 30 yards and put them in field goal range to win the game. Thank you, Bengals.

Pittsburgh has beat the Bengals in every game since.

This year’s contest will be the first of the Joe Burrow era. I’m sure T.J. Watt will give him a warm welcome.

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Ohio State Football Profile Card: Justin Hilliard

A profile of Ohio State linebacker Justin Hilliard entering the 2020 college football season.

Name: Shaun Wade

Number: 47

Position: LB

Class: Senior

Height: 6’1″

Weight: 231 lbs

Hometown: Cincinnati, OH

High School: St. Xavier

2019-2020 Stats:

GP Solo Tackles Ast Tackles TFL Sacks Int
10 7 6 3.0 0.0 1

Overview

Hilliard is hoping to be the next in a long line of Ohio State great linebackers. No Buckeyes might have made BTN’s list of top linebackers of the decade, but the list of great Ohio State linebackers is long. And while players like Malik Harrison, Darron Lee, Joshua Perry, or Ryan Shazier might not have been top of the conference in the decade, they certainly were elite linebackers.

247Sports recently determined that, at the moment, Ohio State is the second-best school at producing NFL linebacker talent, behind only LSU.

Ohio State has a solid linebacking corps this year, with some definite NFL talent in the max. Struggles at linebacker were the Ohio State’s achilles heel during some of their worst losses the last few years of the Urban Meyer era, but that seems to be well behind the Buckeyes as we move further along with Ryan Day. Between Tuf Borland, Baron Browning, and Hilliard, expect some serious production from this group. And don’t be surprised when two or three Buckeye linebackers find their way into the NFL the following year.

Highlights

There aren’t many highlight videos of Hilliard on YouTube, but don’t miss his great interception from last year.

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Ezekiel Elliott, Ryan Shazier make BTN All-Decade football squad

BTN revealed its All-Decade running backs and linebackers, and Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott and Ryan Shazier made the Second Team.

By now, hopefully you know that the Big Ten Network has been going through a journey of identifying the best conference basketball and football players over the last decade. It has completed its efforts with hoops and is now on to football. Ohio State might be a so-called football school, but it actually had more representation on the All-Decade basketball teams than any other program in the Big Ten. In fact, Aaron Craft, D’Angelo Russell, Evan Turner, and Jared Sullinger all made the cut.

So, you know there’s going to be a lot scarlet and gray with the football reveals, and we already have our first two. BTN named its All-Decade football running backs and linebackers on Monday, and both Ezekiel Elliott and Ryan Shazier made Second Team All-Decade.

You know Elliott’s story well, but what many forget is that during the 2014 national title run at Ohio State, he wasn’t really a household name until the postseason when he went on an unbelievable tear — going for over 200 yards on the ground in each of the three games. That catapulted him to being arguably the best back in the country in 2015. That year, he took home the Big Ten’s MVP, Running Back of the Year, and Offensive Player of the Year.

For Shazier, many know him more for his continued recovery from a devastating spinal chord injury while playing with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he dominated on the field at Ohio State as a fast-twitch playmaker at the linebacker spot. In 2013, Shazier was a First Team All-Big Ten and First Team All-American.

 

A look back at the 2019 NFL Draft trade for LB Devin Bush

In a rare move, the Pittsburgh Steelers traded up to select linebacker Devin Bush in the 2019 NFL Draft.

A week from today, the Pittsburgh Steelers will finally be on the clock in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Who will they take? Nobody knows for certain, even general manager Kevin Colbert.

Two things Colbert knew for certain in the 2019 draft was that he wanted linebacker Devin Bush and he wouldn’t fall to No. 20.

In a bold trade-up move, Colbert made it so. Terms of the transaction were steep, however.

The move to select Bush at No. 10 is the reason why Pittsburgh doesn’t have a third-round pick this year. The Steelers, who held the No. 20 pick, swapped first-round slots with the Denver Broncos and gave up their second-round pick.

The Steelers desperately needed a versatile, instinctive, hard-hitting LB to fill the shoes of Ryan Shazier and despite the extreme investment, it needed to be done.

The Steelers usually play the draft more conservatively — only twice had they traded up in the first round. They last did so in 2006 with wide receiver Santonio Holmes at No. 25 and in 2003 with safety Troy Polamalu at No. 16.

It had been 19 years since the Steelers drafted a player that high. In 2000, the Steelers selected wide receiver Plaxico Burress at No. 8 overall.

Colbert felt confident relinquishing the Steelers’ second-round pick because they had a high third-round pick (No. 66), which they acquired in the trade of wide receiver Antonio Brown to the Oakland Raiders.

During Bush’s three-year career at Michigan, he recorded 172 tackles (18.5 for loss), 10 sacks, 11 passes defended, and one interception. He was named the 2018 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

As a rookie, Bush compiled 109 tackles (nine for loss), one sack, one forced fumble and four fumble recoveries (one for a TD). He also had two INTs and four passes defended.

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When to expect Steelers to pick up LB T.J. Watt’s fifth-year option

Teams that have players selected in the first round of the 2017 draft class have big decisions to make and fast.

The fifth-year option for contracts of players selected in the first rounds of NFL Draft classes was introduced in the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement. Prior to that, first-round picks simply had five-year contracts, to which they were bound unless released.

Since the introduction of the fifth-year option, the Pittsburgh Steelers have drafted nine players in the first round. They’ve previously exercised the options on Cam Heyward (2011), David DeCastro (2012), Ryan Shazier (2014) and Bud Dupree (2015), and passed on the options for Jarvis Jones (2014) and Artie Burns (2016).

The Pittsburgh Steelers have from now until May 3 to pick up the fifth-year option for linebacker T.J. Watt who was drafted in 2017.

In the coming weeks, the Steelers will pick up Watt’s fifth-year option for 2021, which will come with a projected price tag of $10 million for that season.

Until then, the Steelers will have Watt for an absolute bargain considering how he’s played in his first three seasons. According to Over the Cap, Watt is scheduled to earn $1.7 million ($2.9 million cap hit) in 2020.

Watt has produced 34.5 sacks, the most of any player in team history in his first three NFL seasons, including an AFC-best 14.5 in 2019 which earned him a first-team All-Pro designation. His 12 forced fumbles over that span are twice as many as any other player from his draft class. Watt also has three interceptions.

Because of the fifth-year option, the Steelers don’t need to worry about signing him to an extension this offseason.

However, when they do extend him, Watt will make bank. Before the 2022 free agency period, expect the Steelers to sign him to a highly-lucrative contract north of $100 million.

For some perspective, LB Khalil Mack received a six-year, $141-million deal ($23.5 million per year average) from the Chicago Bears in 2018.

Watt will be seeking a contract in that range or more. And he’ll be worth every penny.

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