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Ryan Shazier given No. 50 jersey by Steelers

It's a physical departure and kind of a shock to see the jersey number of Larry Foote worn by someone else, but the Run and Hit Steelers Defense needs to establish its identity as its own.

By Neal Coolong
Elsa

The No. 50 works well for Steelers first round pick Ryan Shazier. It's even, gotta like that. It's contemporary, seems closer to the teen-numbered offensive player to which he compares from a running perspective.

It's comfortable. Steelers fans are used to watching Larry Foote in that number, and while that's hard to accept simply from a nostalgia perspective, the fact is the No. 50 hasn't moved that fast since the last time Larry Foote got on a bus with his jersey on and hit the freeway.

In the picture, Shazier's jersey is stacked with fellow Ohio State product Cameron Heyward, suggesting there's something of a changing of the guard occurring here. The Run and Hit Steelers defense is really starting to come together and seeing Shazier's jersey - and the yellow one he'll wear in minicamps later in May - will really create a sense of "The Future Is Now" in Pittsburgh.

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