Ryan Shazier, a longtime rival of the Cincinnati Bengals with the Pittsburgh Steelers, recently revealed that he wanted no part of the Bengals in the 2014 draft.
Shazier, the 15th pick by the Steelers that year, was never in danger of falling to 24th overall where the Bengals picked, but he recently said during an appearance on “The Brian Hess Show” that weather was a big factor in wanting to avoid the Bengals.
“I didn’t want to get drafted to Cincinnati, because they didn’t have an indoor practice facility,” Shazier said. “It gets cold in Ohio, and they don’t have an indoor practice facility, I used to practice in this all the time, I didn’t want to do that. I was like, at least Cleveland has an indoor practice facility.”
It’s a bit of a strange one, considering Shazier knew full and well about Ohio weather given his time with the Buckeyes. The Bengals have, in more recent years, solved the indoor practice facility complaint, too.
The Bengals were, at least, in the market for defense that draft, taking corner Darqueze Dennard 24th that year. Shazier might’ve been a target if he had fallen though, despite the tandem of Rey Maualuga and Vontaze Burfict at linebacker that summer.
