Ryan Shazier Officially Retires from the NFL
Former Ohio State Buckeye and Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier has announced his retirement from professional football.
On December 4, 2017 in a Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Shazier sustained what appeared to be a severe back injury in a head-to-head tackle. The hit left him unable to move his legs. After he was stabilized, he was taken to the hospital and the next morning it was revealed that he had sustained a spinal contusion. On December 7, Shazier underwent spinal stabilization surgery to secure the injured section of spine and to aid in his recovery. The surgery ended his 2017 season and eventually ended his career.
The Steelers have continued to support him throughout his journey the last few years and Shazier has become a symbol of hope across the NFL. But Pittsburgh placed him on the reserve/retired list on March 17, 2020, effectively ending his career. Today, Shazier made it official himself.
“I know football will always be here for me if I need it, but right now, I'm excited to explore some new challenges and different paths,” Shazier said. “You'll be hearing from me real soon about all the things I'll be doing.”
Prior to missing the last two seasons, Shazier was among the most feared linebackers in the NFL. He racked up 299 tackles in 46 games during his 4-year NFL career.
Shazier was drafted by Pittsburgh with the No. 15 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft. He was one of the most outstanding linebackers in the history of Ohio State football.
He made 317 tackles in just 39 games, forced five fumbles, collected 45.5 tackles for loss and amassed 15 sacks. He was a First Team All-American in 2013 and was recently named to the Big Ten Second Team All-Decade.
Shazier's journey to Columbus was interesting. He initially committed to play for Urban Meyer at Florida, but rescinded his commitment after Meyer resigned as the Gators head coach in 2010. He then committed to play under Jim Tressel at Ohio State, but Tressel resigned five months later and was eventually replaced with Urban Meyer.
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