Steelers' Ryan Shazier Didn't Want To Be Selected By The Cincinnati Bengals In 2014 NFL Draft

Pittsburgh Steelers legendary linebacker, Ryan Shazier was drafted by the team in 2014 and stayed in black and gold until his tragic injury in 2019. After being a stand-out linebacker at the Ohio State University, Shazier decided to enter the draft after his junior year. He finished his college career with 315 total tackles and 14.5 sacks.  

He was predicted to be an early to mid-round pick and was considered the third-best outside linebacker that year. He ended up being drafted by Pittsburgh 15th overall. Recently, Shazier spoke about the draft, including the teams he was hoping for, as well as the ones he did not want. Apparently, the Cincinnati Bengals headed the list of teams he was hoping would not draft him. 

Shazier spoke to Brian Hess recently on an episode of the Brian Hess Show. Hess is a Pittsburgh native and a huge Steelers fan. He is the CEO of a paving company in Pittsburgh and also hosts his podcast. Hess's show focuses on entrepreneurs who are working to make a positive impact in the world while balancing their work and family life. Shazier is not only a role model for anyone looking to overcome adversity, he is also a business owner.  

On his show, Hess asked Shazier if he had a list in his head of teams that he would love to be drafted by. He assumed since Pittsburgh has a linebacker lineage as good as any team in the NFL, he would have them near the top of his list. Shazier said that he really hadn't considered Pittsburgh. He was told they were not in need of his services, so he had checked them off his list, mentally speaking.

"Pittsburgh when I came to visit, told me that they weren't drafting me. They told me they weren't drafting me because they already had a linebacker. That's what the linebackers coach told me. 'We already have a linebacker, you're a great linebacker, I think you're great, you'll go in the first round, I just don't think we're gonna draft you.' So I didn't think Pittsburgh was gonna draft me."

He had crossed Pittsburgh off his mental list, thanks to former Coach Keith Butler. In Butler's defense, the Steelers did have a pretty crowded linebackers room with Terence Garvin, Sean Spence, Lawrence Timmons, and Vince Williams. He added that there was a rival of Pittsburgh that he was seriously hoping to avoid.   

"There were a few teams I didn't want to get to. I didn't want to get drafted to Cincinnati because they didn't have an indoor practice facility. It gets cold in Ohio and they don't have an indoor practice facility. I was like, 'I'm used to practicing in this all the time, I don't wanna do that.' I was like, 'At least Cleveland has an indoor practice facility.'"

He said that he really hoped to get drafted by a team that was in a big city. He liked the idea of being in that kind of environment. He wasn't sure how long he would last on the draft board, but he liked the idea of going to the Arizona Cardinals or to a team in New York. After all, Phoenix is a big city and he could avoid the cold weather he had endured in Ohio. There was one team in a large city he was hoping would miss him, just like Cincinnati. 

"I didn't want to get drafted by the [Miami] Dolphins at the time because I was from Fort Lauderdale. It would have been cool playing in front of my family, but I just didn't want it. I thought being in Ohio allowed me to grow. Being down there, I feel like it would have pulled me back down a bit. My friends are awesome, my family is awesome. They wouldn't have been a problem, but people I used to grow up with that weren't that close to me might have tried to get close to me."

Of course, this part of Shazier's career worked out perfectly. He got the call from Mr. Rooney and donned the black and gold. The stars aligned and he was destined to be one of the greatest linebackers in history. While his career was cut tragically short, it was not without impact. During his nearly four seasons in the Steel City, he was a game wrecker. He amassed 299 total tackles, 24 of them for a loss, with 18 quarterback hits. He had seven interceptions, 25 passes defended, and seven forced fumbles with three fumble recoveries. He was selected to the Pro Bowl twice. 

Steelers' Ryan Shazier Was Destined For A Different Kind Of Infamy

The Steelers had picked up on the fifth-year option on Shazier in 2017. He was absolutely disruptive every time he took the field. Then during a Monday night game in December of 2017 in Cincinnati against the Bengals, he sustained a spinal cord injury. During the first quarter, Shazier went forward to tackle Bengals receiver Josh Malone. Unfortunately, Shazier's forward momentum propelled him into Malone where he collided head-first with his hip. 

No one was doing anything wrong, Shazier wasn't attempting to "spear" anyone, nor could Malone do anything to prevent it. It was one of those freak, yet tragic occurrences that sometimes happens when you play a dangerous sport. Steelers went on to win that game, but the entire stadium was clearly visibly shaken up. 

He required spinal surgery to help stabilize the injured area. While Shazier was never able to play professional football again, he was able to walk, something that was far from certain after the accident. Shazier walked on stage publically for the first time, with his then-fiancee, to announce the Steelers' 2018 draft pick, Terrell Edmunds. He remained on the Steelers PUP/Injured Reserve list until he retired in 2020. 

Shazier is an incredible story of determination, grit, and hope. His injury transcended football and even sports, giving hope and encouragement to people struggling all over the world. Pittsburgh is so very lucky to consider him a yinzer now.