Exclusive: Ryan Shazier talks Steelers, Arvell Reese, Sonny Styles and Jeremiah Smith

It’s been nearly a decade since Ryan Shazier played his last down of football for the Steelers.

The two-time Pro Bowler’s career was cut devastatingly short when a head-on collision in December of 2017 left him temporarily paralyzed from the waist down and necessitated spinal stabilization surgery.

The Steelers were there for him every step of the way, and remain a huge part of his life.

Shazier is currently an alumni relations assistant for the organization and will host his ‘Run for the Black and Gold’ celebrity jockey race and live auction on May 15th at Acrisure Stadium to benefit individuals suffering from spinal cord injuries.

Shazier recently sat down with Casino Guru News to talk about the Steelers, ex-Ohio State linebackers Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles, the greatness of Jeremiah Smith and more.

Q: What does it mean to you that the Steelers supported you through the injury and continue to all these years later?

Shazier: "It means everything. Most people don’t have this type of support when it comes to anything in life. Just to be able to have the (Rooney) family support me, the organization support me, have the city behind me through the whole injury -- I feel like they’ve seen me grow up in my life. I got drafted here. I’ve been here the whole time. It’s been constant support the whole way through, and I try to give that same love back that they give me."

Q: How do you like your role in alumni relations? Do you enjoy connecting with former players?

Shazier: "It’s really fun to catch up with some of the former players and also still be involved in the organization. I still live in Pittsburgh, and it really runs through my blood. To be able to still be a part of the organization and try to help us win another Lombardi in whatever aspect they ask me to do, I try my best. I try to raise awareness around the brand."

Q: You had a coaching stint under Mike Tomlin. Would you like to return to coaching, or do you like the off-field avenue?

Shazier: "The on-field stuff is amazing, and I really did enjoy it. But a better fit for me and where I’m at in my life is more of the off-field stuff, being more engaging with the fans, the sponsors. It’s a better role for me. But it did feel good being a part of the Xs and Os when I was part of it."

Q: What were your emotions when Mike Tomlin announced he was stepping away as Steelers coach? Was it bittersweet?

Shazier: "It is bittersweet seeing him step away from the game. When I think of an NFL head coach, that’s who I think of. He’s a great leader. Unfortunately I got hurt during his stint, but I definitely felt like we could have won a Super Bowl when I was there. What happened to me (in 2017) really messed up the morale for a lot of the team.

"But I just think coach Tomlin is a great leader. If he steps away from the game for good, I know he’s going to do an amazing job as an analyst. And then if he wants to come back, whatever team gets him is going to be lucky. He’s an amazing man and does a great job of leading men."

Q: You mentioned his upcoming analyst role. How do you think he’s going to do at NBC?

Shazier: "I think he’s going to do a great job. He’s really charismatic, and he’s funny when he gets the opportunity to be. One thing he’s really good at is talking about ball. He’s a very good speaker in general, so it’s going to allow him to become a great analyst. And then they have training, so he can focus on what he’s going to speak about instead of coaching other guys on what they need to speak on. So, yeah, I think he’s going to do a great job."

Q: How important is it for Steelers fans to embrace Mike McCarthy after such a long run with Tomlin?

Shazier: "I think it’s very important to put their support behind the new guy. First of all, not many people get to coach a team they grew up watching. So with him being from here, I think that’s one reason they should support him. Just being from here -- everyone here calls them Yinzers. Just for that reason, but then another is, everywhere he goes he improves the offense.

"One thing the Steelers have been known for is their defense. One thing about McCarthy is that he likes to have that blue-collar run game, but his quarterbacks always get better. He’s a quarterback developer with a blue-collar feel on how to run his team. I think that’s exactly what the Steelers need. We had that, and now to be able to add to the offensive side of the ball, I think it’s going to be nice. It will be different than what people are used to because we had 20 years of Tomlin, but I think it’s going to be nice to have someone new. I think he will do a great job here."

Q: There was a lot made of the Steelers being on the phone with Makai Lemon. I read the same thing actually happened with you back in 2014, where you were on the phone with the Cowboys and then the Steelers drafted you.

Shazier: "I feel like it happens more than people expect, but the cameras were right in front of Makai when it happened. That’s why they saw it. It was a crazy moment for me because my dad texted my uncle, ‘Hey, Ryan is going to the Cowboys.’ My uncle was a huge Cowboys fan. But I’ll tell you this: I was much happier to be drafted by the Steelers than the Cowboys. I was a defensive fan. The Cowboys were America’s Team and that’s cool, but (Pittsburgh) had Coach Tomlin, the Rooney family. I already knew about that stuff, and me and my dad liked their defense growing up. It would have been cool either way, but I’m truly thankful where I ended up at."

Q: What was it like seeing two Ohio State linebackers -- Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles -- both go in the top-7 of the draft?

Shazier: "That was really cool. I joked around with James Laurinaitis like ‘Man, I should have come to Ohio State to play linebacker when you were here.’ It was awesome because that was the first time in a long time we had two All-Americans. I was the last All-American before those two, which I found out at their spring practice the other day. To be able to have those guys in Buckeye Grove with me and to have their own tree, it’s truly an honor. I’m truly happy for those guys.

"I think the sky is the limit for both of them. When it comes to the coverage side and just being a safe pick, knowing what you’re going to get from a guy who is very consistent, I think you’re going to get that from Sonny. Arvell’s a guy who can end up being the best defensive player in the NFL down the road. He has so much talent."

Q: Most expect Arvell to eventually move to edge rusher, but what kind of player do you think he’d be if they kept him off the ball and moved him around?

Shazier: "I think that Arvell would be amazing as an inside linebacker, but I think he’s going to do the same thing that Micah Parsons did. Micah Parsons is an inside linebacker and he’s great at it, but when you get to the dollar signs, you make a little more money on the edge.

"John Harbaugh is a great defensive coach. He’s had some linebackers. He had Ray Lewis, Patrick Queen. He’s had a lot of inside linebackers, but he also had Terrell Suggs, (Matthew) Judon, a lot of great players (on the edge). He’s going to know exactly where to put Arvell. He has four great rushers and I think he’s going to move them around a lot. Harbaugh knows what he’s doing, so I think (Reese) landed in a great situation with a great coach. Normally when you go to a great coach, they get the best out of the player."

Q: I was looking at Sonny’s draft profile and his pro comp is Fred Warner. That’s a very high standard for a rookie. What heights can you see him reach?

Shazier: "He’s one of the safest picks, because the one thing with Sonny, he’s very consistent. A lot of times guys get drafted off potential. They’ll look good in college, but it’s about the potential. With Sonny -- and Caleb Downs -- I feel like they got drafted off potential and production. When you watch their film, you see them flash, but it’s not really a flash. This guy is supposed to be there, and he’s there every time.

"The reason he got that comparison to Fred Warner is because he used to play safety, and he’s good in coverage. Obviously Sonny didn’t have a whole lot of interceptions, but he’s in the right area at the right time. Darrelle Revis didn’t get a lot of interceptions, but he was always where he needed to be. I feel like that’s the same thing with Sonny.

"He’s big, he’s long, he’s rangy. In the run game he doesn’t miss any tackles. In the pass game he covers really well. He’s always square and always in the right position. If you do get a comparison, that’s the one you want heading into the NFL. That’s amazing."

Q: Jeremiah Smith might end up the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. What’s it like watching him live, and why is he such a highly-touted prospect?

Shazier: "He’s not as big as Calvin Johnson, but he’s a Calvin Johnson-type guy. Everybody he lines up against, they look at him. This dude is 240 pounds basically, and when he runs by you, it’s like, ‘He’s running by me?’ And when you try to push him, you can’t, because he’s stronger than you. He’s one of those guys like LeBron. He’s blessed with the body style he has, but he also has the work ethic like LeBron, like Calvin Johnson. It allows them to be such an amazing athlete, a superior athlete.

"The only reason he won’t go No. 1 is if there is a run on quarterbacks. We know how the quarterback thing goes every year. If a team needs a quarterback badly enough, then they might go quarterback at 1. That’s the only reason I could see Jeremiah not go 1."

"Jeremiah is a great player. He works hard and he has the right mindset. Even the type of person he is. He’s a humble dude. He’s the type of person you want to draft, so that makes it easy. He’s been the best player in college for like the last three years. He was the best player in college as a freshman. That tells you he’s ready to be in the NFL."

Q: You mentioned humility. Does it surprise you that someone who's been dominant for so long doesn’t have a big ego?

Shazier: "Jeremiah has the Kobe Bryant mentality, that ‘job’s-never-finished’ mentality. He understands how good he is, but he understands he can also get better. He wants to be the best in the world at what he does. He knows in college he’s not the best in the world. I think that’s one of the reasons he’s humble, and his upbringing causes him to be humble. It still bothers him he got cut from his little league team. When guys are that petty, it makes them want to continue to get better.

"Another thing, too: LeBron James is humble until you make him not be humble, and that’s kind of how Jeremiah is. Since early in high school, Jeremiah has been the No. 1 guy coming out, the best recruit they’ve ever seen. When you’ve been told that your whole life, you can be arrogant and say, ‘Hey, I’m the best,’ or you go prove it to everybody, continue to show them why you’re the best. That’s the mindset I see from Jeremiah. He constantly shows people why he’s the best, and why he’s been the best for a long time. I think that’s another reason why he’s so humble. When you’re trying to be the best, you don’t really worry about everybody else and the arguments they’re having."