Injured Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier was not at Sunday’s Pro Bowl. But thanks to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger his presence was felt on the field.
Prior to the game, Big Ben unveiled shoes that honored both Shazier and the Steelers late owner, Dan Rooney.
My #ProBowl cleats! #DanRooney #Shalieve #PrayFor50 ✨#SteelersNation 🏈 pic.twitter.com/Hh6z25azbA
— BigBen7.com (@_BigBen7) January 26, 2018
Roethlisberger also gave Shazier — who was selected to the Pro Bowl — a shoutout on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown.
“There’s one guy that’s supposed to be here that’s not here but hopefully is watching, and that’s Ryan,” the quarterback said on the show, per ESPN. “Ryan, we love you, we’ve got you on our cleats, we’ve got you on our shirts. We’re loving you, buddy,”
Shazier was thankful for his teammate’s gesture.
Ben thanks for letting me be out there with you guys today!!! #probowl
— Ryan Shazier (@RyanShazier) January 28, 2018
Shazier was injured making a tackle in a December game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Following his injury, Shazier has drawn support from people in the NFL, as well as those who have suffered serious injuries.
His progress remains something of a mystery, though Shazier’s father does not believe that his son’s NFL career is over.