About a year and a half ago, Ryan Shazier was told he had a 20% chance of ever walking again. This was him today at his wedding.. Anything is possible! This man is such an inspiration to all! #Shalieve @RyanShazier pic.twitter.com/Z0eOqoj42t - Steel Faithful (@Steel_Faithful) May 4, 2019
"This man is such an inspiration to all," the post reads, referring to his incredible recovery. While playing against the Cincinnati Bengals in December 2017, Shazier collapsed on the field following a head-on tackle. He was diagnosed with a spinal contusion and underwent spinal stabilization surgery. The injury brought a premature end to his 2017 season, and at the time, doctors believed he only had a 20 per cent chance of ever walking again.
Shazier didn't play during the 2018 season, as he was still busy with his recovery; he completed rehab and physical therapy at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and was discharged in February 2018. The following April, he and his then-fianc Michelle Rodriguez walked on-stage at the NFL Draft to rapturous applause from fans.
Far from disheartened by his injury and the lengthy recovery process, Shazier has stated his desire to rejoin the Steelers and make it into the Hall of Fame. "My end goal is to allow the Lord to let me come back and play at the high level that I was before," he told NFL.com . "Every day I try to get better. I strive for the Hall of Fame and I was doing that through this year, the whole time I was playing. And I still do that while Im doing rehab... I know its still a possibility. I have the Lord and he has my back and I constantly feel Im going to come back and play football."