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.”
Thank You 🙏🏽… pic.twitter.com/JS3diYi2ar
— Ryan Shazier (@RyanShazier) September 9, 2020
“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.”
