Skip to content

Ad Disclosure

Ryan Shazier officially retires from NFL

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

Former Ohio State star linebacker Ryan Shazier has decided to officially retire from the NFL. The Pittsburgh Steeler took to social media on Wednesday morning to make his announcement official.

Shazier’s announcement came almost three years after a severe spinal injury ended his ability to play the game he loved.

“Football gave me everything I could want and more,” Shazier said in a video on Twitter. “It taught me about hard work, dedication and teamwork. It took me to college and the NFL. It made me money and gave me a life most people could 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.”

Shazier was a first-round selection in the 2014 NFL Draft and spent his entire career with the Steelers. During his career, the linebacker collected 299 tackles, 7 sacks, 7 interceptions, 7 forced fumbles and 3 fumble recoveries in the NFL. He was a two-time Pro-Bowl selection while in Pittsburgh.

Prior to the NFL, Shazier was a standout linebacker at Ohio State. He was credited with 210 careers stops, which included 45.5 tackles for loss and forced 5 fumbles.

Shazier’s best season came in 2013, when he racked up 102 tackles with an incredible 23.5 stops for loss. He also totaled 7 sacks, broke up 4 passes and forced 4 fumbles on his way to All-B1G and All-American honors. Ohio State finished the season with a 12-2 record.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB