Ryan Shazier Injury Update: Pittsburgh Steelers LB Regains Feeling In His Leg

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier regained feeling in his legs, a month after an injury in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals forced him to undergo spinal stabilization surgery. While details about his recovery have not been made public, Shazier's father Vernon mentioned about the progress in a recent interview.

“He said, ‘Daddy, pray for me. I can’t feel my legs,'” Vernon said in an interview with Pittsburgh’s WPXI.

“He’s much better, but we’ve agreed to keep his progress private until he’s ready to share where he’s at,” Vernon added, declining to comment on whether Ryan has resumed walking.

Ryan, who was leading the Steelers in tackles before the injury, was rushed to the hospital from Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati on Dec. 4 following an alarming collision. He underwent spinal-stabilization surgery following which doctors raised concerns over Shazier’s future in the National Football League.

“When your child is laying there in a situation like this, I was hoping and wishing I could switch positions with him,” Vernon said.

Shazier’s father expressed hope that his son would soon work with the team again.

“He’s making progress daily,” Vernon said. “He’s a long ways from where he was Monday night when he was laying on the field.

“I Shalieve,” he added, using the term that’s become a rallying cry in support of Ryan.

Late last month, Shazier made an appearance before the Steelers’ matchup against the Patriots. His fiancée accompanied him during the visit to the team’s practice facility in a wheelchair. Shazier helped Pittsburgh’s defense become one of the top units in football. The latest update comes as a relief for several of Shazier's fans.

Four days before Christmas, Shazier’s father had spoken to the ESPN but during that interview as well he did not give out any details as to when the 25-year-old would be able to walk.

“We have seen some improvement that is encouraging,” Vernon told ESPN on Dec. 21. “We’re taking it one day at a time. We do not know what tomorrow holds. It’s a [daily] journey we don’t know. But I know God is getting the message.”

Vernon Shazier told ESPN at the time that details about the injury could not be given out.

“It's easy to be faithful in a storm, but we're not talking about a drizzle," Vernon Shazier said. "We're talking about a hurricane, a category 5 [hurricane], lots of metaphors to describe it.”