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LB Ryan Shazier (All B1G, All-American, 2017 Pro Bowl)

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Ohio State football notebook: Shazier has been spectator so far
By Tim May
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH FRIDAY MARCH 8, 2013

Ryan Shazier, the lone returning starter in the defensive front seven at Ohio State, has had to stand and watch at spring practice. It wasn?t what the junior linebacker had in mind, but recovery from a sports hernia comes first.

As for when he might be able to return, ?To be honest, I really don?t know,? Shazier said yesterday. ?I?ve just been doing my rehab with the trainers and everything, and they just tell me take it day-by-day. So I?m seeing how everything goes, and just trying to get back as soon as possible.?

Shazier said the sports hernia first started bothering him in the Nebraska game at midseason. He played on rather than complain.

?I just tried to fight through the season, and when I got back here (after Christmas break) it kept hurting, so I talked to the coaches, I got an MRI and I found out,? he said.

A surgical procedure repaired it just over four weeks ago. But during spring practice, as a starter the past two seasons, Shazier wanted to lend leadership to a rather young defensive unit.

?It?s real frustrating,? Shazier said. ?Sometimes in the back of your head you think it?s a blessing because you?re not practicing. But to be honest, it?s frustrating, because you see all your guys out here grinding, working hard, doing tough workouts, and all you can do is watch.?
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http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2013/03/08/shazier-has-been-spectator-so-far.html
 
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Shazier Working His Way Back
By Brandon Castel

COLUMBUS, Ohio ? Watching Ryan Shazier walking around the practice field last Thursday, it looked like he could run through a brick wall and come out unscathed on the other side.

Looks can often be deceiving.

While Shazier still looks like the physical freak who led the Big Ten in tackles for loss a year ago ? he is 6-2, 225 pounds and runs like a gazelle ? his body is still recovering from offseason surgery.

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http://www.theozone.net/football/2013/SpringFootball/shazierworkingback.html
 
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Shazier finds silver lining in injury
April, 30, 2013
By Austin Ward | ESPN.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- There were two versions of Ryan Shazier, and each had roughly half a season to show what it could do.

One was completely healthy, freakishly fast for a linebacker and relied heavily on that athleticism to mask some issues in his understanding of the position.

The other was slowed by injury, robbed of some of that trademark speed, forced to both grind his way through the schedule while in pain and find ways to make up the difference mentally when not at his best physically.

Given the choice between those options, though, Ohio State would rather have the latter at its disposal given the way a banged-up Shazier finished the season after first feeling discomfort in the sixth game of the year -- and then watching his production actually go up as the speed went down. But what it really wants is for Shazier to combine those two guys into one scary package as he rebuilds himself following surgery for a sports hernia, which could put him in line to become the program?s next elite product at a position that has churned out more than a few of them.

?The way I felt, it?s hard to even explain how bad it felt,? Shazier said. ?I feel like it started around the Nebraska game [on Oct. 6], and I just kept trying to fight through it and do whatever I could to help the team.

ncf_rshazier_dj_300.jpg

David Dermer/Diamond Images/Getty Images
Ryan Shazier's production actually went up last season after he was slowed by injury.

?I think one thing that really helped me with this injury was it caused me to slow down a little bit, because I was still as fast as everybody else but it caused me to slow down and learn leverage better, learn how not to overrun plays. Me being hurt, it was a minus but it was also a plus.?

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http://espn.go.com/blog/colleges/osu/post?id=10471
 
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He outplayed Te'o pretty much all season long. If he has another season like the last, he might end up sitting next to Braxton at the downtown athletic club. That is a stretch but if it happened last year and both improve, why the hell not?
 
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Bestbuck36;2333406; said:
He outplayed Te'o pretty much all season long. If he has another season like the last, he might end up sitting next to Braxton at the downtown athletic club. That is a stretch but if it happened last year and both improve, why the hell not?
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While I understand why you'd feel that way, it's an open invitation to see the Heisman go to someone from another team. The Heisman voting still has a regional flavor to it and making regional voters from this region chose between team mates only ends up splitting the Midwest vote.

Question: Ryan still seems to me to be too small to play LB in the NFL. Does he have the skills and speed to play safety?
 
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cincibuck;2347976; said:
While I understand why you'd feel that way, it's an open invitation to see the Heisman go to someone from another team. The Heisman voting still has a regional flavor to it and making regional voters from this region chose between team mates only ends up splitting the Midwest vote.

Question: Ryan still seems to me to be too small to play LB in the NFL. Does he have the skills and speed to play safety?
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I'm not seeing a problem with his size. Especially in today's passing driven NFL.
 
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If he can get up to 235 and stay at that weight and maintain it that's plenty good enough when you have his physicality and speed. Look at guys like Lawrence Timmons, Daryl Washington, and Luke Kuechly... none are more than 235 pounds and those three are actually MIKE backers, where as Shazier will almost certainly be put on the weak-side at the next level where he won't have to take on as many blocks. Worst case scenario he could become a solid nickel linebacker that comes in in obvious passing situations (although that's not really a strength in his game at the moment but could be).

I'd love to see him put some weight on though. He's just so reckless out there with seemingly no regard for his body that I really don't know how he'll hold up at the next level with the amount of abuse he takes.

No chance he plays safety though IMO. If there's ever a conversion it's always safety to linebacker.
 
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bucknut502;2348070; said:
Wesley Woodyard plays at about 225 pounds and had a pretty impressive season last year. Shazier has always reminded of Woodyard in a lot of ways.
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Yeah, I was going to mention him as well. That guy's always been a very underrated player, at both Kentucky and in the pros.

I don't think Shazier will have any problems with his size. He did not look his listed 230 last year though but I know Ohio State doesn't exaggerates their weights so I guess he just hides it well.
 
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