Ohio State 2011-2013 LB - Ryan Shazier (2013 All-American, 2013 All-B1G, 2x Pro Bowl)

The Shaziers and LeBron ❤️ pic.twitter.com/lOcos8m1vM

— Ballsack Sports (@BallsackSports) September 4, 2022

 

.@RyanShazier "I talked to my father, mother, wife & I was like I'm a failure, sorry I let you down. (They) told me playing🏈is a bonus, being the man you are is what we love about you...overcoming this injury we look up to you more than we ever did." https://t.co/j3CQH2ayP6

— I'm a Martínez (@AMartinezLA) January 12, 2023

 

Had a great time being surrounded by friends and old teammates at the NFL’s Broadcast Bootcamp. The league does a great job of empowering players to pursue their post-game passions with unwavering support and guidance from the field to the screen. pic.twitter.com/rQoaCiqeIo

— Ryan Shazier (@RyanShazier) April 8, 2023

 

welcome back @RyanShazier ❗️#GoBucks pic.twitter.com/R2nr4OJF8V

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 12, 2023

 

Ryan Shazier
Shazier was the last in a line of dominant linebackers. It’s a tough act to follow legends like Hawk and Laurinits, who made 100 tackle seasons seem regular. In the three seasons between Laurinitis leaving and Shazier taking the reigns, Ross Homan had 108 tackles, but in 2010 and 2011 the leader tackler only had 76 and 75 tackles respectively.

In 2012, Shazier took over the reins. In his first season as a starter, he totaled 115 tackles. In 2013, he became the second linebacker since Chris Speilman in the 1980s to have over 140 tackles in a season. Shazier finished 2012 with 143 tackles, which is tied for the 12th-highest season in Ohio State history. That season solidified Shazier as a Buckeye legend, as he had 101 solo tackles which are the 3rd most solo tackles in a season. He’s also tied with Tom Cousineau for 1st place with 16 solo tackles in a game.

Shazier is 14th all-time with 315 total tackles in his career. He is a 2x All-American, 2x All Big Ten, and was named on the 2nd team Big Ten All-Decade team. Shazier was drafted with the 15th pick of the 2014 NFL Draft and was an instant contributor for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was voted to the 2016 and 2017 Pro Bowl teams before his career was cut short due to a catastrophic injury that left him paralyzed in 2017. He finished his NFL career with 299 tackles, and is one of the biggest what-ifs in the NFL as he was entering his prime and becoming the dominant linebacker he showed at Ohio State.

Shazier is walking now, and although he will never play football again, he is a major inspiration for players and fans. Shazier ended one of the most dominant decades in modern-day Ohio State History. We may never see a run of talented linebackers as we saw from 2003-2013 in AJ Hawk, James Laurinaitis, and Ryan Shazier.

 

𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚: Former #Steelers LB Ryan Shazier told @2ndWindPod that he would still be in the NFL today if not for his career ending injury.

Ryan Shazier was on the brink of getting a new contract that would’ve paid him life-changing money, but then it all changed in the… pic.twitter.com/NMS6wccw7r

— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) August 8, 2023

 

Ryan Shazier is at Ohio Stadium today. pic.twitter.com/TePILYDaaP

— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) November 18, 2023

 

Buckeye GREAT 🔙 in the building. pic.twitter.com/0LyYV9cjTC

— Ohio State Buckeyes 🌰 (@OhioStAthletics) November 18, 2023

 

.@RyanShazier on winning "The Game" up there. @TheFeverABC6 pic.twitter.com/BQdS8YuZU3

— Clay Hall (@NewDayForClay) November 22, 2023