It’s back to school for Shazier

He enrolls at Pitt, aims to help Bush

Ryan Shazier dished out high- fives, wearing a smile and some of his “SHALIEVE” gear with a big gold lion on his back. But he quickly became a Wildcat, putting on his new Tshirt from the teachers at Pittsburgh Fulton Elementary School in Highland Park, whom Shazier thrilled with an appearance at the JC Penney in the Mall at Robinson.

Shazier partnered with the department store this week to present the staff with gift cards for an on- site shopping spree, as well as a $ 1,000 donation of socks and underwear to Fulton students, proudly professing his appreciation for teachers and coaches who have impacted his life.

“I always try to tell people, when it comes to education, put your best foot forward,” Shazier said.

And he’s walking the walk, too. When Pitt students return to campus Monday for the fall semester,

they’ll be able to count a very athletically accomplished classmate among them. Shazier is going back to school, working to finish the psychology degree he never completed at Ohio State before entering the NFL draft a year early in 2014.

Shazier’s journey has taken plenty of turns since then, from becoming a twotime Pro Bowler as a Steelers linebacker to a career- threatening spinal injury that has kept him sidelined since late in the 2017 season.

“To me, when it comes to recovery, I feel that when you continue to try to be yourself, instead of hiding from what you are now, I feel that it’s a better chance of having a better recovery,” Shazier said. “Because it’s understanding that, ‘ Hey, if I’m stuck in this situation, at least I can live with it.’

“A lot of people are scared of the situation they’re in — or when they’re hurt, they want to hide from everybody and hide from the situation — but I feel like I’ve been working my butt off and I just want to still do the things and care for the people that I always did before.”

Already an inspiration to many by no longer needing a wheelchair and walking across the stage at the draft two years ago, Shazier remains on the Steelers roster. He was placed on the injured reserve/ physically unable to perform list in April, which means he won’t play again this season but will remain under contract.

Shazier remains an active member of the franchise, often at Steelers headquarters on the South Side, in the locker room and watching practice at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.

“It’s a cold business, and a lot of people say NFL stands for ‘ Not For Long.’ Honestly, in my case, I can’t say nothing but positive things about the Steelers and the Rooneys,” Shazier said. “I feel like I have a personal relationship with them, Kevin Colbert, coach [ Mike] Tomlin, and I really feel that I gave everything I had to the game and I feel like the game is still sowing that back to me. It’s respecting me the way I respected it.

“I worked hard, and I feel like people treat you with respect and look out for you the best when you’re doing the best you can for them. I think it’s just a mutual respect and a mutual trust with each other. I constantly will support and help the Steelers as much as they need me to, as if I was a player.”

As for any update on his process, Shazier, who turns 27 Sept. 6, said: “It’s going well. I’m just working every day, doing the best I can, and I can’t complain. I’m just trusting God and working hard.”

After practice this week, Shazier was sitting at a locker stall near the one of rookie Devin Bush, the 2019 No. 10 draft pick whom the Steelers selected to fortify a defense that hasn’t been the same since they were forced to make an attempt to replace Shazier. The idea is for Bush to bring many of the same qualities Shazier did at the inside linebacker spot — speed, coverage skills, a hard- hitting physicality — and the guy who used to man that position wants to help however he can.

“Devin, he’s a smart guy; he wouldn’t have been a top10 pick if he wasn’t smart and athletic, you know?” Shazier said. “Honestly, I feel that he’s constantly getting better and better and he’s always asking me all good questions. He wants to learn. He asks me when I’m coming in, when I watch film, and I think if he continues to do that, he’s going to be a great player.”

And could the Steelers have a great defense?

“At the end of the day, I think we’re going to have a great team,” Shazier said, with a grin. “Our camp has been amazing, and I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people. We had some departures, and everybody’s looking at us in a different view, but I think we have a lot of amazing talent on our team and we’re going to show the world that we’re still the Steelers.”

Shazier maintained that his long- term goals for his NFL career haven’t changed, and that God has a plan for him, even if his injury has been an unexpected obstacle. For now, he will play the dual role of teacher and coach for Bush and other young Steelers.

And he’ll be a student again, taking classes both online and in- person.

“I think it’s really important that you have your degree, just to get the best amount of education you can get because you never know where in life you could be.”