The Rush: Ryan Shazier on ‘Walking Miracle,’ Odell in L.A. and Mike Tomlin’s tough love
Former Pittsburgh Steeler LB Ryan Shazier is on The Rush, chatting with Jared about his new memoirs “Walking Miracle,” why Odell Beckham Jr. is a good fit for the L.A. Rams, how Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s tough love approach is what NFL players need and what makes the rivalries in the AFC North so fierce. Plus, check out Ryan’s book “Walking Miracle” here. It’s available to pre-order now and hits shelves on November 30.
Video Transcript
RYAN SHAZIER: People always say like Odell is a distraction. I don't feel like he's really a distraction. I feel like Odell is just, his name is a distraction. You don't really see Odell getting in trouble or anything like that, it just he's more, he's such a big name person. People think if he goes somewhere, it's going to bring attention.
JARED QUAY: What's up, everybody. I'm here with former Steelers all-pro linebacker and author of the book "Walking Miracle," Ryan Shazier. How are you doing today, Ryan?
RYAN SHAZIER: I'm doing great. I'm doing great. I can't complain.
JARED QUAY: During a game in 2017, you suffered a spinal injury that left you paralyzed, then beat the odds, and now are standing tall. How is your health today?
RYAN SHAZIER: It's going well. It's going well. God bless me. I work my tail off. I did my part in trusting God, but also I had to do my part in working hard again. And that's how I think I was able to get back to where I am now.
JARED QUAY: How do you feel about like, maybe your kids playing football, or do you think-- you think the league is doing good efforts to make the game safer?
RYAN SHAZIER: I don't-- you know, I don't have a problem with my kids playing football is because the thing is the league allowed me to have so many opportunities in my life and allow me to do so many things in my life that I never thought I would be able to do before. If they have a love for the game like I did as a child, I don't want to be Oh, let's watch football but then you can't play.
- Who does that?
JARED QUAY: Odell Beckham Jr. is signing with the Rams. Is that a good fit, Odell in LA?
RYAN SHAZIER: I think it's a good fit for Odell. To me, I think Odell is better in a scheme that he's the top dog. Athletically, he's the best receiver over there. But as receiver wise, I think Cooper Kupp is the best receiver now.
Odell might be a better receiver but I think Cooper Kupp is the best receiver, not the he's the top dog over there. And I don't think Odell should be able to take that from him. I'm happy for the Rams. But the thing is I kind of like parity in the NFL. And it seems like they're trying to do a little bit of basketball when it comes to football.
And everybody's building up on one squad. And every day, the Rams do a good job of finding a way to win. So all you have to do, the biggest thing is win. And the Rams can figure that out, and Odell doesn't have to take a lot of money to do that. And I'm happy for him.
- Yeah, I said it.
JARED QUAY: You shared an interesting tweet from Maurice Clarett about how Mike Tomlin wrote him a letter when he was in prison, even though the two had never met. That was your coach when you were there. What kind of person is Mike Tomlin, the Steelers head coach?
RYAN SHAZIER: Well, one thing that's kind of cool with me writing the book, and me being with the Steelers, and some of the things it's going to be here, and I actually talked to coach, telling him about the book before I even wrote it is that he's just a very-- to me, he's a very humble guy, a very personable guy, and somebody that like people like to be around. I respect Coach Tomlin tremendously, even before I knew he send that letter.
JARED QUAY: I know. He seems like he's like the father or a bigger brother in the league. Like, he has that-- he has a kind of coaching atmosphere that people that may not even play for him but like, "hey, Tomlin, what you think about this, you know."
RYAN SHAZIER: I respect him because one of the things that and this is very cruel but this is how the NFL is, I don't feel like he get as much gray area. I remember as a situation, Ryan is hurt and he probably going to be back in 4 weeks. You two guys are playing his position for right now is two dogs, one bone. Whoever doesn't win, you're out of here, you know.
So and like, you can't get any clearer than that. Sometimes guys who think that they're doing something well, and then the same coach is like, "hey, man, you're looking great, you're looking great, you're looking great." The same guy that said, "I need your playbook the next day."
JARED QUAY: You're obviously an all-pro linebacker. You played in the NFL at a high level. But you're also an author. In your book, "Walking Miracle," you talk about a bunch of different parts of your life, not just the end of your career. What's something that's going to be in the book that we may not know about you?
RYAN SHAZIER: When I was younger, they told me, my man, I ever played football because I had scoliosis that when I was younger. So those-- they told me that I would never play football again. Obviously, everybody knows I'm bald, and I had alopecia since I was five.
But it was also a moment in the book, you see that me being a first round draft pick, it was moments where I almost quit football, probably the year before I even started, the year before I even got in the draft. The one thing about it is I think that it relates to everybody, you know. Everybody's going through adversity in life.
And obviously, everybody's adversity is different, but I just I just use mine to be able to show others that hey, with all whatever you've been through in the past, that help you propel you to the future. You know, just-- just think, you guys, just think in a positive light.
JARED QUAY: My brother's Calais Campbell for the Baltimore Ravens, obviously you're-- you're the Steelers representation. What is it about that conference that makes it so competitive? I feel like there's nothing like the AFC North.
RYAN SHAZIER: So I'm not going to say anything good about your brother, all right.
[LAUGHS]
I'm kidding. Now I'm playing. Your brother is also he's-- he's amazing. He's a great player. He's also a great person. You probably already know that, he's your brother. But the one thing about that division is that everybody, obviously every division, but everybody knows each other. And all our cities are blue collar, city with blue collar city.
We not know like you said, LA, we're not-- we don't have cheerleaders, and we like, we over here, we're playing in the snow. You know, so our football is based off of how our city is, we are hard nosed city, and that's the same thing how the Ravens are. And the Browns and the Bengals, you can obviously see that.
They're building it up right now and making it and starting to make the division. You know, obviously, everybody in the division got 5 wins, but-- but the Ravens and they have 6. You know, to be honest, I ain't think Ravens will be doing as well as they right now without all the injuries they have.
JARED QUAY: It's been a fun interview, man. I didn't know how much football you know, man. You got to get into commentating a little bit more. Thank you for rushing with me today, guys. And if you're watching this, Ryan's book comes out on November 30, "Walking Miracle."
Thanks for spending time with me, man, and let's hope this NFC North rivalry as a Ravens favor right now.
RYAN SHAZIER: Yo-- Yo-- y'all supposed to lose by a full game. The Dodgers just slide your way out of here like the Steelers.
[INTERPOSING VOICES]
JARED QUAY: It's all about getting to tell you, man. Thank you, brother. Thank you, man.
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