Ryan Shazier, the Steelers linebacker who suffered a serious spinal cord injury during a game in December of 2017, has officially announced his retirement.
Despite the serious injury, Shazier’s retirement announcement was a statement of love for the sport of football.
“When I was five years old I made the greatest discovery of my life: I discovered a game I love, the game of football. Ever since then, I’ve given my life to the game. I love everything about it, playing it, practicing it, studying it, watching it, talking about it and thinking about it. Football gave me everything I could ever want and more. It taught me about hard work, dedication, teamwork, it took me to college and the NFL, it made me money and gave me a life that most people could only dream about. I’m here today to make sure the world loves how much I love the game of football,” Shazier said.
Shazier said he now wants to step away from the game to see what else life has in store for him. His football career didn’t end the way he hoped, but he sounds nothing but grateful about his past and optimistic about his future. Steelers fans and fans of every NFL team will wish him luck in the future.