Ryan Shazier's father gives surprising update on injured son
Ryan Shazier is getting better.
Details are still scarce, but the injured linebacker’s father says his son has regained feeling in his legs, which is a major breakthrough exactly one month after his spinal cord injury.
When we last saw the Steelers’ Pro Bowler, he was making a surprise appearance at Heinz Field for the team’s huge matchup with New England, waving a Terrible Towel.
Overall, however, the family has been understandably very private about his recovery.
That was, until Thursday, when WPXI-TV in Pittsburgh aired a report from anchor Lisa Sylvester, who traveled to Florida to spend time with the Shazier family.
In the feature, Vernon Shazier recalled the moment when he first spoke to his son after the Dec. 4 injury.
“He said, ‘Daddy, pray for me. I can’t feel my legs,'” Vernon Shazier said, before breaking down in emotion. “When your child is laying there in a situation like this, I was hoping and wishing i could switch positions with him.
Faith is a huge part of life for the Shazier family, with Vernon serving as a pastor at a Mount Bethel Ministries church in Fort Pierce.
I asked @VernonShazier how he and his family are getting through this difficult time. It all comes down to their relationship with God. He said, "I laid my hands on the shoulder of the doctor and I prayed for him". #WPXI https://t.co/LLJn0uEwbZ
— Lisa Sylvester (@LisaSylvester) January 4, 2018
The elder Shazier told Sylvester, “I laid my hands on the shoulder of the doctor and I prayed for him.”
When Ryan went down against the Bengals, he was rushed to a Cincinnati hospital, where he spent several nights before flying back to Pittsburgh for spinal stabilization surgery.
Even after the surgery, the 25-year old had no feeling in his legs.
We don’t know to what extent, but Vernon reports that is no longer the case.
“He’s making progress daily,” Shazier said. “He’s a long ways from the night when he was laying on the field.”
After the linebacker’s injury, the term “Shalieve” became part of the Pittsburgh lexicon.
And it’s the word Vernon Shazier uses with a remarkable answer about his son’s future.
“I believe when the smoke clears and all of this is over that God is going to get glory out of it,” he said.
The reporter asked Shazier question that is way down the road: “Do you think he’ll play again?”
“Yes, yes I do. I Shalieve. I Shalieve,” he said.
If that does happen, it’s safe to say that every fan — regardless of their team — will be rooting for No. 50.
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