SERBY'S SUNDAY Q&A WITH... RYAN SHAZIER

Before Sunday’ s AFC Championship game showdown with the Patriots, Steelers linebacker Ryan S hazier tack led some Q& A with Post columnist Steve S er by. Q: Why won’t the Antonio Brown video be a distraction? A: This team’s gone through so much throughout this whole season. We’ve been through ups and downs. At the end of the day, we’re a really focused team, and we understand what we have to do to win. We’re not gonna let distractions kill this team. We know how good we are. We know what we have to do to be as good as we want to be. Everybody on this team has a pretty good relationship with Antonio. Everybody knows that he’s not a butthole or anything like that. And we know that he’s not gonna do anything to put his team in harm’s way. Q: What is your fascination with lions on Instagram? A: Lions are like the king of the jungle. They’re ferocious beasts and they lead by example. When they come in a room or are around everybody, they’re all highly respected. So I just try imitate some of the things that they do, and just try to bring that to my life. Q: Do you expect your defense to be like a pack of lions on Sunday? A: Yeah, I definitely feel like it’s a pack of lions, because every time we’re out there we want more. When it’s time to make plays when they’re needed I feel like we’ve been making ’em lately. Every time we’re on the field together, we definitely just want to continue to grow and get better. It seems like every time we’re out there, it just feels [like] we’re hungry, we just want to eat, and just get better and do more. And I think we’re definitely gonna play like that this weekend. Q: When you say you want to have a legendary career, what does that mean specifically? A: I just want to be able to be up there with some of the top backers to ever play this game. I want to be able to have some big plays in big moments like they have, [to] have rings like they have, key plays in big moments like the AFC Championship games and Super Bowls and things like that. And I just want to be a well-respected guy around the league. My whole life I always wanted to make the NFL and be one of the greatest guys to ever play the position that I would be available to play, and now I have the opportunity. I just give everything I got every time I’m out there. Q: Who are some of the legendary linebackers in your mind? A: Mike Singletary, Jack Lambert, James Harrison, Patrick Willis. ... I just watched a lot of film and highlights of those guys and see the amazing things that they have done before me. My goal is just to be great, so I just studied the things they do, tried to add it to my game. And Ray Lewis, and of course Lawrence Taylor. Q: Your dad used to show you LT clips. A: [Taylor] definitely reinvented the outside linebacker position with all the sacks and trouble that he gave teams when he played. And I want to be able to do the same thing at my inside linebacker position. If it comes to making a play in the passing game, or getting a sack, forcing a fumble, I just want to be able to be an all-around backer and use my speed all around the field. Q: What did you notice about Taylor? A: Just his aggressiveness and his wantto. He just was nasty out there. Guys almost were scared to play against him ’cause he was so good and he was so physical. He gave everything he had when he was out there, and I just liked that when I used to watch his clips. Q: What are some adjectives you would use to describe your game? A: Aggressive, quick, fast, smart. I just feel when I’m in my zone, when I know what I got going on, I feel that I can be unstoppable at times. Q: Are you a good trash talker? A: I ain’t gonna say I’m a good trash talker, ’cause honestly, I’ll be trying to figure out the plays, and get everybody lined up. I don’t even [hear] guys fighting on the sideline and cursing each other out and trash talking and all that type of stuff ’cause I’m so focused on trying to get a play and get everybody else in position. It might come out every now and then, but I definitely feel we have a lot of better trash talkers on our team than me (laugh). Q: Who’s the best trash talker on your defense? A: [Free safety] Mike Mitchell talks a lot of trash, sometimes [cornerback] Artie Burns talks trash, James [Harrison] talks trash sometimes. James talks trash to coaches and everything. It’s funny. ... Guys’ll try to run his way or do something in his way, and he’ll just basically tell ’em, “Hey man, you keep trying that, it’s not gonna work.” Q: You’ve had one interception in each of the past four games. A: First of all, that’s definitely the will of God, man, taking care of me, letting me stay healthy throughout this stretch. He’s definitely been helping me stay focused and trusting me with my film study. I’m here every morning pretty much 6 a.m. trying to get an understanding what the offense is gonna try to do. I think we’ve all been doing a lot better lately, just making a play that comes our way. Q: Who are athletes in other sports you admire? A: I’m a big fan of Kawhi Leonard. I really didn’t have a favorite basketball team, I was always a big bandwagon fan, but my fiancée’s from San Antonio, so I ended up becoming a fan of them. I just love the way he plays the game. He’s super efficient, he’s a great defender, and he gives everything he has out there every time he’s out there. And he doesn’t complain, he doesn’t cry about anything. Q: What drives you? A: My family, my love for the game, and the Lord helps me get focused every morning, He clears my mind every morning and just allowing me to play the game that I love at a really high level. And I just thank Him every day for just allowing me to be able to do that. Q: You dream of being in the Hall of Fame. Have you envisioned standing next to your Hall of Fame bust? A: I definitely have envisioned things like that before. Just being able to be in Canton, Ohio, when we were able to go there as a team, I envisioned that, and I definitely can still envision it. I still feel like I have a lot to prove, a lot left in the tank, and it’s so much that people still don’t know that I can do, and I don’t feel like I’ve reached my potential yet, so I still feel like it’s a lot I have to accomplish. I can taste it, but I still have a lot of work to do and continue to build my résumé. Q: Have you envisioned holding the Lombardi Trophy? A: I took a video of James [Harrison’s] rings, and his mini-trophy, and I can just definitely envision myself holding up one up and getting my ring and being the next team to be able to do that.