NOON UPDATE: Due to unforeseen circumstances, today’s interview with Ryan Shazier will not take place and is being rescheduled. We will let you know when the new interview day and time are set.
Former Pittsburgh Steeler great Ryan Shazier will be a guest on “The Sports Animals” this afternoon at approximately 3:35 p.m.
Shazier, a 2x Pro Bowl linebacker who played for the Steelers from 2014 to ’17, had his football career come to a premature end after sustaining a spinal injury during a Dec. 4, 2017 “Monday Night Football” game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Shazier officially announced his retirement from football in September of last year.
Shazier has authored a new book, Walking Miracle, which will be released at the end of the month. Here is an official synopsis of the book:
As an All-American at Ohio State and All-Pro linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ryan Shazier was living his best life while excelling at the game he loves, a game that has given him so much. But then Ryan was forced to redefine success. Suddenly, it was no longer measured by tackles or sacks, but by purpose and faith.
WALKING MIRACLE is the story of this new definition of success, following the arc from December 4, 2017, when Shazier was injured playing the Cincinnati Bengals, to his retirement. For three years, Shazier doggedly pursued a return to professional football. He took small wins as “first downs” on the drive to return to the field: moving his toes, walking, dancing at his wedding, and ultimately running and returning to the team. What Shazier didn’t realize is that along the way, he was preparing himself for another purpose—that of father and husband, philanthropist, and football analyst. The journey was preparing him not for a renewed life as a middle linebacker, but a renewed life after the game.
Here we see Shazier overcome childhood alopecia, which caused a great deal of emotional pain, and scoliosis, which nearly robbed him of his dreams of playing college and professional football. We gain insights into legendary coaches Urban Meyer and Mike Tomlin. And we see him star on the field. Shazier was one of the best defensive players in Steeler history—a history full of great defensive stars.
WALKING MIRACLE—the message on a bracelet given to him by his godmother—is the story of Ryan’s comeback, but it’s also a book of life’s lessons, challenges, and a love letter to the power of positive thinking.
