Tragedy struck Monday night after Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier collided with Cincinnati Bengals receiver Josh Malone in the first quarter of the matchup.
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According to ESPN, Shazier led with his helmet in a full-on collision into Malone’s thigh and quickly motioned for officials to meet him on the field. Shortly after, Shazier was carted off the field with an injury to his back.
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The injury left players and coaches on the field with a heavy heart, as Steve Young revealed, “immediately you could see that he could not move the lower half of his body.” The linebacker was taken to a local hospital to be evaluated, however, the team declined to provide further updates.
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Shazier was a 2014 first-round pick out of Ohio State. This season alone the linebacker has had 87 tackles, two forced fumbles, and three interceptions.