If NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wanted to avoid getting booed at the draft, he should have brought injured Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier on stage with him sooner.
Goodell, who was booed by the crowd in Dallas throughout the night, was cheered for one of the only times all evening when he announced Shazier would be announcing Pittsburgh’s first-round pick.
Shazier, who sustained a serious spine injury less than five months ago, limped slowly onto the stage at AT&T Stadium with his fiancée Michelle Rodriguez and announced the Steelers would be selecting safety Terrell Edmunds, at No. 28 overall.
Ryan Shazier walks out to make the Steelers 1st round pick! #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/3aW30QFgbi
— Buckeye Videos+ (@BuckeyeVideos) April 27, 2018
“When he was ready to walk, he was going to make that determination,” said Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert. “Since he had been working with us in the draft preparation, we thought that would be a good opportunity. It was up to him. He did great. It’s amazing.”
The Pro Bowl linebacker has been ruled out for 2018 and his football career is in jeopardy following spine stabilization surgery in December.
Whether you’re looking to get into shape, or just get out of a funk, The Charge has got you covered. Sign up for our new wellness newsletter today.
