Steelers’ Ryan Shazier walks onto the field in Cincinatti for the first time since suffering a spinal injury there last year.
The last time Ryan Shazier was in Paul Brown Stadium, he was being carted off, facing the possibility that he would never be able to walk again. The 26-year-old linebacker had suffered a spinal injury during the Steelers’ Week 17 game against the Bengals. Shazier was transported to a local hospital before visiting the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where he underwent a spinal stabilzation surgery that paralyzed him for weeks.
Doctors told him he may never recover. But on Sunday, ahead of the Steelers’ matchup against the Bengals and more than 300 days after suffering his injury, Shazier walked back onto the field that changed the fate of his career, and he did it unassisted.
On Saturday, Shazier also visited the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, walking through the hospital’s front doors to thank the staff that initially treated him after the injury.
“There were so many white jackets. It was crazy,” Shazier said. “I was just there and there were so many people around me. I am just truly thankful to everybody.”
Watch the full video of Shazier’s visit below.