'18 Months After Spinal Injury': Pittsburgh Steelers LB Ryan Shazier Dances at His Wedding

Steve Warren
05-05-2019

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Just 18 months after suffering a spinal injury in which doctors told him he only had a 20-percent chance of walking again, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier danced with his wife on their wedding day Saturday. 

Videos shared on social media show Shazier and his wife dancing after their wedding with other couples on a dance floor. Several of his Steelers teammates also attended the nuptials. 

As CBN News reported, Shazier was injured during a Monday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals on December 4, 2017.  He underwent spinal stabilization surgery three days later at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). 

Just one month following his injury, the linebacker posted a photo to Instagram which showed him in a wheelchair at the Steelers practice facility. 

In his post, Shazier credited God for allowing him to achieve this "first downs" by attending practice.
 
"I want to thank the Lord for the first downs that he has been allowing me to achieve. The touchdown is going to come in his timing, but today was a first down. I was finally able to make it to practice with my teammates," he wrote.

"The Lord has not finished his work yet," he continued. 

Since that time, Shazier has been working toward his goal of a full recovery by walking, jogging, and lifting weights.

The Steelers have also showed his progress during his journey by posting video of him doing his exercises. In a video posted just last month, Shazier is seen jumping by himself from a standing position to a higher platform.

In March, the Steelers placed Shazier on the reserve/physically unable to perform list for 2019, but he's still on the official roster and has an avenue to return with the organization, according to USA Today. 

His father, Vernon Shazier, is a chaplain with the NFL and has remained active on Twitter seeking prayers for his son using the hashtags "#shalieve" and "#prayfor50."

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About The Author

Steve Warren is a senior multimedia producer for CBN News. Warren has worked in the news departments of television stations and cable networks across the country. In addition, he also worked as a producer-director in television production and on-air promotion. A Civil War historian, he authored the book The Second Battle of Cabin Creek: Brilliant Victory. It was the companion book to the television documentary titled Last Raid at Cabin Creek currently streaming on Amazon Prime. He holds an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma and a B.A. in Communication from the University of
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