When the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted LB Ryan Shazier out of Ohio State, they knew they were getting an athletic specimen. Shazier was selected with the 15th overall in the 2014 NFL Draft after a prolific career with the Buckeyes in which he posted 317 total tackles, 45.5 TFLs, 15 sacks, four forced fumbles, four pass breakups, and one interception during his three-year career at Ohio State.
While Shazier’s production stood out to Pittsburgh, his athletic prowess also stood out as the league’s modern-day off-ball linebacker who could run, hit, and play in coverage. Shazier proved his athleticism in the pre-draft process, running a 4.38 40 during his Pro Day while also posting a 42-inch vertical jump as well as a 10’10” broad jump and 25 reps on the bench press.
Appearing as a guest on Up & Adams with former GMFB host Kay Adams, Shazier talked about the story where he raced WRs Antonio Brown, Sammie Coats, and Markus Wheaton after being told by HC Mike Tomlin that he may be one of the 10 fastest guys on the team when Shazier strongly believed he was in the top five.
“So, I went out there and we ended up racing about 60 yards,” Shazier said on video from Up & Adams Twitter page. “Because I told them I don’t want to do 40 but at least give me like 60, because I know if I get 60… some of them guys, like their get off is faster than mine, but if I go 60, I’m gonna come catch you. So, we ended up running 60 yards, and I ended up winning the race.”
If we are going off 40-yard dash times, WR Sammie Coates ran a 4.43 while Antonio Brown ran a 4.48 and Markus Wheaton ran a 4.45. All those times were confirmed at the NFL Combine, however, rather than Shazier’s time that he ran at his Pro Day. Either way, he proved to be the fastest of the bunch in a 60-yard sprint, beating every Steelers WR outside of Darius Heyward-Bey, who Shazier admitted was the fastest guy on the team by far at the time.
It’s quite a feat for an off-ball linebacker to be faster than most of your skill position players in the league. That just speaks to the freakish ability Shazier had back in his playing days. To be fair, more defenders are ripping off crazy times like Eagles DE Nolan Smith, who ran a 4.39 at the NFL Combine this spring, and EDGE Micah Parsons for the Cowboys, who reportedly ran a 4.36 at his Pro Day at Penn State.
Speed kills in the NFL, and Shazier had a ton of it. While he is now enjoying life’s work after his unfortunate career-ending injury, we shouldn’t forget the player who helped revolutionized the inside linebacker position in the NFL for the short time he played in the Black and Gold.
