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Ryan Shazier does box jump in new video highlighting spine recovery

Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier has taken a leap in his recovery from a spinal cord contusion suffered against the Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium in 2017. Dr. Bret Ferre, a Mercy Health spine surgeon, says treating spinal cord injuries has advanced greatly in the last 10-20 years.

By: WCPO staff

Posted at 11:03 AM, Apr 08, 2019

and last updated 2019-04-08 20:24:07-04

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier is continuing to recover from a spine injury he suffered in a game against the Bengals in 2017.

Shazier posted a video to his Instagram page Sunday showing him doing a box jump under a spotter's supervision.

"DEDICATION = HARDWORK + PATIENCE," Shazier wrote.

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A post shared by Ryan Shazier (@shazier) on Apr 7, 2019 at 12:49pm PDT

Shazier's legs went limp after making a head-first tackle on wide receiver Josh Malone during the Bengals-Steelers game in Cincinnati on Dec. 5, 2017. The Ohio State alumus was initially left unable to walk after the injury, but after undergoing surgeries, Shazier has slowly been recovering.

He's made a few high-profile public appearances since the injury, standing unassisted at an OSU game last spring and walking slowly on stage at last year's NFL draft to announce Pittsburgh's first-round pick.