Pro Sports Advisory Summit: Ryan Shazier

Professional athletes face two major financial moments during their careers. One is when they get their first paycheck, an event that often brings with it a major windfall. The second occurs as their playing career comes to an end and they recognize that their wealth must be preserved throughout their lifetime.

After suffering a catastrophic spinal cord injury on the football field in December 2017, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier was told there was a 20% chance he'd walk again. But Shazier had spent a lifetime overcoming obstacles, so he approached the injury equipped with the determination required to overcome it.

Shazier joined Randie Brooks, senior vice president and senior relationship manager with Entertainment Banking at City National, to discuss overcoming adversity, using resiliency to fuel success, and managing his finances after being a professional athlete.

Early Life Lessons That Led to Future Resilience

At 5 years old, Shazier was diagnosed with alopecia, a disease that causes hair loss. “My parents were very honest with me," he said. “They told me that most people don't have to deal with this condition, but everybody has to deal with some adversity. People could see mine, but everyone has adversity whether we can see it or not."

Shazier said that this early adversity and pushing through it helped set a lasting foundation for his life. He also watched his mother deal with Crohn's disease, yet never lose her positive mindset.

When Shazier was diagnosed with scoliosis in high school and was told that he couldn't play football anymore, he relied on that positivity he learned from his mother, along with a treatment plan that kept him in the game.

Every year throughout his childhood, Shazier's father had him write goals for the year. “Then my dad would ask, 'What are you willing to sacrifice to accomplish these goals?'" he said.

That lifetime of discipline drove Shazier to watch extra film, practice extra hard, and eventually become a first-round Steelers draft pick in 2014. He relied on that same grit and drive to work towards walking again, accomplishing that goal one year after his injury.

Life After Football

Now retired from his pro career, Shazier shared about his determination and about how building the right team of advisors allowed him to transition into a thriving post-football life.

Shazier's experiences led him to start the Ryan Shazier Fund, an initiative that helps spinal cord injury patients receive the treatment and tools they need to recover and live comfortably. He also runs a logistics company and has started a gym in downtown Pittsburgh.

His advice for professional athletes? To plan for life after the playing field and to assemble the right team to help manage that transition.

"It doesn't last forever, and it can stop tomorrow," Shazier cautioned. "You can't have a winning football team if you don't have winning pieces. That's the same thing in life."

For Shazier, the winning pieces of his post-football team have been his financial advisors, who have helped him navigate his finances and make educated business decisions.

"I feel like I didn't learn as much when I was younger," Shazier added. "Transitioning over, I think it definitely helped me be able to understand every decision that I've been making."

Catch the rest of the conversation with Ryan Shazier in the video above.