Heart of Gold – Ohio State Buckeyes
10/26/2013 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 26, 2013
Junior linebacker Ryan Shazier is an intimidating force to come face to face with on the football field. After leading the Buckeyes with 115 tackles – 17 for loss – during the undefeated 2012 campaign, Shazier continues to terrorize opposing defenses with 47 tackles to his credit through six games this season.
Off the field, however, Shazier is far from threatening, greeting teammates and fans with a friendly smile and welcoming persona. He has developed close relationships with his teammates and is a strong and dependable leader in the locker room. For all of his accomplishments, Shazier will humbly credit friends, family, and teammates for much of his success.
One of those individuals is senior captain Christian Bryant. After Bryant went down with a season-ending injury in Ohio State’s 31-24 win over Wisconsin, Shazier looked for a way to honor his teammate. When the Buckeyes took the field at Northwestern the following week, Bryant proudly sported Bryant’s No. 2 jersey.
“It was really important to wear his number because he is one of our leaders,” Shazier explained. “I wanted to act like his spirit was still out there with us. He is someone who has helped me a lot in my time here and I wanted to show my appreciation for him.”
This is not the first time Shazier has shown respect to an individual who has helped him grow as a person. Last season in a win at Penn State, Shazier wore No. 48 in honor of his close friend, Gary Curtis, who lost a long battle to muscular dystrophy. Curtis was?a manager on Shazier’s high school football team in Florida and he sought to honor the memory of his friend.
“I wouldn’t do that for just anybody,” Shazier said. “If you are important to me and something has happened to you, I feel like it should be represented and your spirit should live on.”
Shazier’s loyal and caring personality has been molded by his parents, who play a huge role in his life and keep him focused on his priorities.
“I talk to my dad every day about school, football and life,” Shazier said. “He gives me guidelines on how I should do things, how I should act, even how I should approach classes. He and my mom are really important in my life – they make the path a lot clearer.”
Valuing his family and friendships, Shazier has a strong support system to help him achieve excellence. As he continues on his journey in football and life, admitting he is not alone will undoubtedly make the road easier to navigate.
By Kortney Sweitzer, Athletics Communications
Contributing Writer: Ryan Zimmerman, Athletics Communications
