Ryan Shazier continues to progress, is ‘1,000 times’ better than in December

When it comes to Ryan Shazier’s back/spinal chord injury which occurred on that fateful night in Cincinnati, everyone just wanted an update.

Something to give them even the smallest glimmer of hope.

Periodically UPMC, or the Steelers, would update Shazier’s status. However, it wasn’t until Shazier posted a picture of him standing alongside Ben Roethlisberger, and then stood at a Pittsburgh Penguins game when fans really started to feel at ease with the situation.

Football is great, but most just wanted Shazier to be able to walk and play with his child like a normal adult male.

While Shazier continues to rehabilitate his back, with him not playing in 2018 many may have put the Shazier story on the back burner. However, when he was a co-captain at the Ohio State University Spring Game this past weekend, ESPN caught up with Shazier to find out how he is doing.

“Every day I’m doing a lot better,” Shazier told ESPN’s Marty Smith. “I’m able to move around a lot more. I’m doing 1,000 times better than I was in December, and I’m just thanking everybody and all the prayers, because that’s definitely helping me get a lot better.”

To say he has learned a few things throughout this process might be a huge understatement.

“You just always have to understand that anything can happen,” Shazier said. “Everybody always says it, but you always never think it can be you. In this situation, it really made me realize that. It also made me realize that in certain causes that a lot of people can come together no matter what the situation is, and I’m really thankful for that.”

Shazier’s improvement is always good news, and we here at BTSC, along with all of our readers, continue to send our positive thoughts and prayers out to Ryan as he continues to work his way back to full health.

Always SHALIEVE!