Ryan Shazier looks like any other football player when he’s in full uniform, helmet included. But when the helmet comes off, Shazier is notably hairless, outside of a clump under his chin. This is due to the alopecia Shazier was born with, an autoimmune disease that tackles hair follicles. Despite this, Shazier’s parents told him growing up that nothing was wrong with him, and to laugh off the detractors, and that’s exactly what he’s done. Shazier told Kinkhabwala, "That would make kids so mad," he says, smiling as he thinks back. "I used to laugh so much. Even still now, I laugh.
Former Ohio State LB Ryan Shazier used his alopecia to become a better person and player
