Ryan Shazier Has Regained Feeling in Legs, Father Expects Him to Play Again

Vernon Shazier, the father of injured Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier, told WPXI’s Lisa Sylvester that his son has regained feeling in his legs and believes Shazier will play football again in the future (h/t Adam Bittner of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). 

"He's making progress daily," Vernon said. "He's a long way from where he was on that Monday night."

"He's much better," he added (h/t Lauren Kirschman of PennLive.com), "but we've agreed to keep his progress private until he's ready to share where he's at."

Shazier, 25, had spinal stabilization surgery on Dec. 6 after suffering the injury against the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 4. He had to be stretchered off the field and was unable to move his legs at the time.

"He said, 'Daddy, pray for me. I can't feel my legs,'" Vernon Shazier said, recalling the phone call he received from his son after he suffered the injury.

"When your child is laying there in a situation like this, I was hoping and wishing I could switch positions with him," he added.

Shazier has attended two of the team's games at Heinz Field since suffering the injury and was also at the team's practice facility on Dec. 23 in a wheelchair. He is currently on injured reserve and his football future remains in question, though his place on the Steelers is hardly in doubt.

A number of his teammates visited him in the hospital in the wake of his injury, with many of them donning customized Shazier cleats or No. 50 shirts under their pads in the team's Dec. 10 game against the Baltimore Ravens. They dedicated that win to the linebacker, awarding him the game ball.

"We are riding with that guy," head coach Mike Tomlin said after that win, per ESPN.com. "He is strong. He is strengthening us."