On December 4th, 2017 Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier left the field at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, on a cart, unable to move his legs. He had injured his spinal cord making a tackle on Bengals wide receiver Josh Malone.
Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of that game and Shazier took to Instagram to post a heartfelt message about that day and the journey that his spinal cord injury has taken him on over the past year.
Today is a day to remember. Just a year ago my life changed forever. It was a scary moment for many people. I’m not going to lie, I was one of them. I’ve learned this was an amazing opportunity for the Lord to show how great He is. It’s been a crazy, long journey, but it is not over yet. The best worst part about this journey that I’m on is the unknown. Day by day it’s getting better than the the day before. Today is and was a day of joy. I want to thank all of the amazing people that have been a part of this process with me, starting with the one and only Michelle. And lets talk about my ride or die boy.. my number one man..my son RJ knows how to keep a smile on my face. My parents and siblings have been there through the thick and thin. There was more than a million tears cried over this year, but now they are all of joy. Love you guys. My friends and teammates, man y’all don’t understand just the little things you’ve done that have pulled me from darkness to the light. To the Steelers-there’s no better organization. Thank you for being family to me. The UPMC trainers and staff for getting me back on my feet. Steelers and Buckeye Nation-your prayers and love honestly keep me going. And to the fans everywhere, I feel your support honestly everyday. CAA-thank you guys constantly for giving me amazing advice and being the best agency in the world. And Iast, but not least, I have to give Jerome Howard and Mike Micca an extra thank you for dealing with my foolishness, excuses, pain, and joy everyday. These two are with me working everyday and I cant say thank you enough to these guys. Love you all thank you so much. #SHALIEVE
Shazier still has a long way to go to reach his dream of playing in the NFL again. But he’s made incredible progress and recently jogged out to the practice field with his fellow linebackers for the first time since the injury.
We’re rooting for him and if he ever does get back on the field in a game, we hope he learned not to lower his head when making a tackle.
