Third-year LB Shazier ready to take reins as Steelers' defensive leader

There's little doubt that linebacker Ryan Shazier is the catalyst of a defense eager to prove it has regained the undeniable swagger that defined the Steelers' championship teams.

Shazier's rare blend of speed, football aptitude and athleticism has him on a trajectory toward stardom. More importantly, his passion and unabashed enthusiasm is inspirational, especially amid the searing heat during three-hour practice sessions at St. Vincent.

The defense feeds off Shazier's energy. He is perpetually fired up. There are no gears to shift. He has only one way to roll — full steam ahead.

It doesn't matter that the Ohio State product spent his first two seasons nursing a myriad of bumps and bruises that forced him to sit out 11 games, including four games last season with a shoulder injury.

“I need to stay on the field,” Shazier said. “The more you're on the field, the better you'll get, and it allows me to recognize stuff more and more.

“When I get to spend more time with my teammates (on the field), they trust me in certain situations. They know I can do certain things, and I have confidence I can, too.”

Linebacker Vince Williams has no doubt Shazier will deliver. He is convinced a healthy Shazier will earn his first trip to the Pro Bowl and help the Steelers advance to the postseason.

“I think if Ryan stays healthy, he's going to have the potential to go to the Pro Bowl,” Williams said. “The man's a phenomenal athlete, extremely talented and very intelligent. And now he's taking over a more vocal role than he even had last year. I feel the sky's the limit.”

On Saturday, he labored and limped off the practice field with both knees heavily bandaged with ice. On Sunday, a couple of violent collisions left him staggering, but he countered quickly by delivering punishing blows during back-on-backers drills.

“If it looks like I'm dominating, I'm not trying to embarrass guys in front of me,” Shazier said. “I'm just trying to make sure I'm getting better.”

Coach Mike Tomlin also has great expectations for the third-year linebacker. It's why he and defensive coordinator Keith Butler handed him the added responsibility of making the defensive calls.

“(Shazier) is becoming what we expect, like a lot of guys,” Tomlin said. “More than that, he's embracing this day-to-day process. He is a competitor. He gave us a great work day (Sunday).”

Shazier is working overtime. He continues to grasp the nuances of a defense that relies heavily on his ability to stop the run.

“We all know what we're doing. It's a matter of making plays,” he said. “They (coaches) started turning it up a little bit toward the end of last season. We started playing a little better. The longer we were with Coach Butler, the more he understood what he could do with the players.

“I think he trusts us more. And we trust him.”

The Steelers trust Shazier, too.

“I feel as if I'm going to help my team get to where we feel we deserve to be,” Shazier said. “I feel a lot like I did last year, when a lot is on my shoulders. I could have done a little bit better with some things. This year, I'm going to do what I have to do for us defensively.”

With the Steelers facing uncertainty about the future of linebackers Lawrence Timmons and Jarvis Jones, the coaching staff wants Shazier to take ownership of the defense.

“I think all of us should have that expectation for him,” Butler said. “He's shown the ability to move probably better than anybody that I've seen at that position.

“So he's gonna continue to learn, and I've always said that for a linebacker, probably the most productive years are years three and four. (From those years) through seven or eight, that's where knowledge of the game and talent are usually melded most at that time.

“When you get 28 or 29 years old, you start to lose speed and stuff like that, and you start to play off knowledge as opposed to talent. So we think he's gonna start melding that knowledge with his talent, and he should be good for us when he does.”

Some, however, would argue Shazier has arrived. He gained momentum during the second half of 2015 as he appeared to take command, if not leadership, of the defense.

And that was evident in the way he performed during the postseason.

“I think what we got to see, that's just Ryan Shazier,” Williams said. “Obviously, that's the type of player that we all know he can be. I just think, for me, it's gonna be can he stay healthy?”

If Shazier remains healthy, the Steelers probably will possess the swagger of a champion again.

Ralph N. Paulk is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at rpaulk@tribweb.com or via Twitter @RalphPaulk_Trib.