The Pittsburgh Steelers have never really replaced Ryan Shazier. The Steelers drafted Shazier in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He was coming off his first Pro Bowl season when he suffered a career-ending injury against the Cincinnati Bengals in December of 2017. The severity of the injury did not prevent him from making his second Pro Bowl in what would be the final season of his career.
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Steelers' Ryan Shazier (#50) in his NFL debut in 2014 against the Buffalo Bills in Pittsburgh, PA.
Shazier had freakish speed at the linebacker position running a 4.38 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. It is the fastest time ever for an inside linebacker. Shazier flew around the field and Dick LeBeau began grooming him to replace Troy Polamalu as the dynamic playmaker on the Pittsburgh defense. The experiment did not get off to a good start when Shazier struggled in his rookie season.
2nd Wind Podcast YouTube
Former Steelers ILB Ryan Shazier
Shazier joined the 2nd Wind Podcast on Tuesday with Jarvis Miller and James Wah. The podcast focuses on athletes who have overcome adversity in life and how they managed to find their second wind. The former Steelers linebacker has had to overcome a lot in his life. Based on the struggles he faced after a devastating injury, it is easy to overlook some of the real struggles he had on a football field.
“I remember when I got drafted my rookie year, I needed this,” Shazier began. “I got hurt a little bit and I wasn’t playing the best. Troy [Polamalu] came to me and said, ‘Ryan, stop putting so much stress on yourself.’ I was just like, I want to have a great season and be a Rookie of the Year candidate.”
Shazier only managed to play nine games during his rookie season and started five. He showed glimpses of the player he would become, but he would miss at least 25 percent of every season he ever played. Shazier had a hard time staying healthy throughout his NFL career.
“I got hurt so many games I couldn’t be a Rookie of the Year candidate,” Shazier added. “[Polamalu] was like, ‘Ryan, think about this. I’m a great player. Everyone knows the type of player I am. My rookie year was so bad that I could have possibly won Offensive Player of The Year with how many touchdowns I gave up.’ When he said that, I was like, even Troy wasn’t perfect.”
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Polamalu had a tough rookie season in 2003 and could not manage to start for the Steelers. He did appear in all 16 games, but fans thought Pittsburgh had made a mistake drafting the USC Trojans safety so high. He broke into the starting lineup in 2004 and no one questioned his ability again on the way to three Super Bowl appearances and a trip to Canton, OH to be immortalized in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In his final season, mentoring a talented rookie was still very important to Polamalu.
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Steelers rookie TJ Watt and ILB Ryan Shazier.
Shazier settled into his considerable talent during his second season after Polamalu retired, but the wise words stayed with him. The Steelers defense with Shazier on the field was formidable and before his injury during his fourth season, he was having his best year in professional football. TJ Watt was a rookie and it looked the Pittsburgh defense was about to be super again.
The Steelers have been searching for a middle linebacker for over five years now to solidify the middle of the defense. They traded up to get Devin Bush Jr. only to find he lacked the heart and the talent of Shazier to fill the role. The former Ohio State linebacker was born to be a Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker and he wanted to be remembered as a great football player.
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Ryan Shazier of the Pittsburgh Steelers looks on during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at then-Heinz Field on October 6, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Shazier was a great player who never got to demonstrate just how good he could be in the NFL due to a horrible tragedy. Since his injury, he has demonstrated that as a man, he is winning at life. Super Bowl victories and the Hall of Fame eluded him in the NFL. Shazier is walking tall and embracing his current life, however. He might not have a ring to show off, but Shazier is a champion at living his life. That is what the Steeler Way is really all about.
What do you think, Steeler Nation? Are you surprised at the words of wisdom Polamalu passed on to a struggling rookie? Let me know what you think. Please comment below or on my TwitterX: @thebubbasq.
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