At one point, there was a chance that Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier might never walk again.
On Friday, Shazier walked Michelle Rodriguez down the aisle as they got married in Pittsburgh. And if that wasn't accomplishment enough, he even danced with his new bride.
Shazier was rushed to a University of Cincinnati hospital on Dec. 4, 2017, after a tackling attempt against the Cincinnati Bengals left him struggling to move. The two-time Pro Bowler underwent spinal stabilization surgery a few days after, and he didn't regain movement in his legs until the following February.
In the days, weeks and months that have followed, Shazier has tackled milestone after milestone in his ultimate goal of returning to the NFL. Where paralysis once was a concern in the days after the injury, Shazier has re-taught himself to walk, drive a car, jog and lift weights.
And you can add walking down the aisle and dancing with his bride to that list of accomplishments.
Shazier will not play in 2019, and his contract tolled at a minimum salary, giving him one more year toward NFL pension. The team has kept him on the roster with the physically unable to perform designation simply because, as coach Mike Tomlin has said, "it's Ryan Shazier."
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler contributed to this report.
