Retired Steeler visits Hampton restaurant to receive donation

What appears to be a routine football play has the potential to change a life drastically.

Ask Ryan Shazier.

On a Monday night in 2017, the Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker collapsed after making a tackle, having suffered an injury that necessitated spinal stabilization surgery and had doctors wondering if he ever would walk again.

Having turned 30 this month, the now-retired linebacker looks as if he still could be a force on the field, as evidenced by his state of physical fitness when he paid a visit to Caliente Pizza and Draft House in Hampton.

But these days, he is concentrating on ensuring the success of his nonprofit Ryan Shazier Fund for Spinal Rehabilitation.

“I want to be there for people who are going through similar struggles,” he says on the organization’s website. “No matter who you are or what you’re going through, we’re all in life together. We need to take care of each other.”

His Sept. 20 trip to Hampton was to accept a $5,395 donation to the fund from Caliente and owner Richland resident Nick Bogacz, who in 2012 founded what has become a chain of restaurants that also includes locations in Aspinwall, Monroeville and Sewickley.

“When we started thinking about how to celebrate our 10-year anniversary, our history has been rich in championships,” he said about Caliente’s frequent victories in pizza competitions, some on a worldwide basis. “So we decided we wanted to have a customer championship. And anytime we do something of that caliber, we like to think of the nonprofits that we can help.”

Impressed with Shazier’s efforts on behalf of others with spinal injuries, Bogacz invited the two-time Pro Bowl player to serve as a judge for the June customers’ competition in Aspinwall. The winning pie turned out to be Parker’s Pizza Parma, inspired by 3-year-old Parker Thompson of the Crafton area, featuring mozzarella sticks, chicken tenders and parmesan cheese.

Caliente pledged to donate $1 to a charity of the winner’s for each of the limited-edition pizzas sold, and as a result, went St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The same pledge was made for the Shazier fund, with a twist.

“From meeting Ryan and seeing how passionate he is about his nonprofit,” Bogacz said, “we decided to add another $5,000 to the original donation.”

While Shazier was visiting the Hampton Caliente, he joined Bogacz and John Throckmorton, who heads another nonprofit addressing spinal-cord injuries, in making a promotional video for a coming event.

“We’re going to have four seats in the club section for all the Steelers home games,” Shazier said about a raffle opportunity at the ninth annual Grand Bash, scheduled for March 18 at Mylan Park in Morgantown, W.Va.

The event, tickets for which go on sale Oct. 1, benefits Throckmorton’s Mission for Miracles, which supports medical facilities that treat neurological conditions, recovery research facilities, and organizations that helps families heal and recover.

Caliente is helping the Grand Bash cause with another donation: a chance to win a year’s supply of free pizza.

“We just like to really give back to the community,” Bogacz said, “because the community supports us so much.”

For more information, visit ryanshazierfund.org and missionformiracles.org.

Related:

• Chicken parm pizza inspired by a Crafton boy wins inaugural Caliente Pizza contest

• In among draft’s most dramatic moments, Ryan Shazier walks to podium