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Injured Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier stands up during ovation at Penguins game

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier is still making progress after a devastating neck injury. On Tuesday, he gave his plenty of hope by standing up while receiving an ovation from fans at a Pittsburgh Penguins game.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writer Jason Mackey captured the moment Shazier was shown on the Jumbotron:

You can hear a loud ovation as Shazier is shown on the video board. The camera then cuts to clapping fans before going back to Shazier. That’s when he decides to stand up and wave back to everyone. Once the fans realize what’s going on, they cheer even louder as Shazier gets to his feet with some support from those around him. He raises his hand in the air before slowly lowering himself back into his seat.

Ryan Shazier got to his feet in front of Pittsburgh fans. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)
Ryan Shazier got to his feet in front of Pittsburgh fans. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

Shazier was injured during a Week 13 win over the Cincinnati Bengals while making a tackle. He remained in the hospital rehabbing from the injury until Feb. 1. During that time, the team was quiet about Shazier’s status, only offering bits of info on his recovery sparingly.

The Steelers used Shazier’s fight to get back and healthy as a rallying point throughout the year. Ben Roethlisberger wore spikes featuring Shazier’s name and number during the Pro Bowl.

Shazier posted a picture of himself standing on Instagram the day he was released from the hospital, but this was the first time the public has seen him get on his feet since the injury.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik