PITTSBURGH _ Videos of Ryan Shazier deadlifting and box-jumping have gone viral over the past couple years as he blazed a comeback trail from a back injury that threatened his life, let alone his football career.
But the latest milestone in his recovery can't be measured in pounds or sets. Instead, Shazier reflected on a recent moment when it almost felt like he was trying to chase down Joe Mixon or Ezekiel Elliott in open grass. One of his two sons was trying to run away from him, and Shazier brought him down as if he were in a football game again.
"I think I tackled him a little too hard," Shazier said with a grin, "but it was kind of funny. It was kind of an achievement that I was able to tackle my son. He's not an NFL running back, but I thought it was kind of cool just to be able to chase your son and play with him."
On Wednesday, Shazier announced he's officially retiring from the NFL, first via Twitter, then in a Zoom call with Pittsburgh media. Or, as he put it, "Superman" is putting away his cape.
"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."
Shazier was placed on the reserve/retired list by the Steelers in March but has been on an inspirational journey attempting to come back from the injury he sustained on the field in 2017.
Making a tackle in a Monday night game against the Bengals, Shazier damaged his spine and needed corrective surgery. Nonetheless, he has recovered to the point of being able to walk, jog and work out, even serving as an unofficial member of the Steelers coaching and scouting staff since his injury. The Steelers kept him on the reserve/physically-unable-to-perform list the past two seasons, ensuring that he would be paid an annual salary while receiving NFL benefits.
"Honestly, I always tell people this, if my boys love it enough and they want to play, I'll let them play. I don't feel like football is the reason I got hurt," Shazier said. "I feel like it's more of myself why I got hurt. I probably should've done things a little safer. But at the end of the day, it was a routine tackle."
Shazier added that he doesn't harbor any ill will toward the game, and that he was just telling his wife the other day that even if he were still healthy, he might want to retire now. According to contract numbers from OverTheCap.com, Shazier's career earnings total nearly $18.7 million. Three days after his 28th birthday, he is looking to the future.
"I'm going to step away from the game for a while and see what else life has to offer," Shazier said. "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."
In the immediate future, that includes a football podcast he'll appear on every Tuesday via The Ringer Podcast Network on Spotify. Shazier also mentioned other "business ventures," including continuing work with his Shalieve Fight Foundation. He was taking classes at Pitt to finish up the degree he started working on at Ohio State and was supposed to graduate in the spring but laughed while admitting he'll need one more semester; he was expecting a C-minus in one class, only to receive a D.
It's difficult to have a proper retirement news conference in the COVID-19 era, but the Steelers did their best to fete Shazier. First, coach Mike Tomlin and fellow inside linebacker Vince Williams popped up with a surprise appearance from the team's South Side practice facility, where Tomlin recalled walking in on Shazier early in the morning watching film and studying opponents.
"I just want to tell you I love you, man. Thank you for all the memories we have together," Williams said. "You were always a much better person than you were a football player, and when you're a person like that, that's always going to translate to things off the field."
What Williams called a "lion's aggression" made the 6-foot-1, 230-pound 15th overall pick in 2014 a two-time Pro Bowler and menace in the middle of the Steelers defense. Once he became a full-time starter in his second season, Shazier was remarkably consistent, averaging 7.3 tackles per game his final three years. He also blossomed into a premier playmaker, picking off three passes each of his last two seasons.
Shazier, who ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash coming out of college, was blessed with sideline-to-sideline speed on the field, but his fiery passion made No. 50 a fan-favorite before kickoff, too. He'd commonly warm up shirtless, rain or shine, in heat or cold. That's pretty hardcore, but Wednesday, Shazier (who said he and his family plan to keep a home here) turned emotional several times while hearing from his special guests _ including one who popped in with an unmistakable raspy Pittsburgh accent.
"I just want you to know you can retire from the game of football, but you're never going to retire from being a Pittsburgh Steeler," said general manager Kevin Colbert, choking up as Shazier nodded on screen. "Thank you for sharing your life and your career with us, and all the best to you, Michelle and the boys."
