Sean Spence Officially Placed on Reserve/Injured List

Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

On one hand, the following news which came from the Pittsburgh Steelers’ official twitter account made me sad:

Despite the fact that Sean Spence returned to practice last month, the inside linebacker will have to wait until next season to make an on-field impact for the Steelers.

Of course, the fact that the former Miami Hurricane will have a chance to play at all next year is nothing short of a miracle when one remembers the horrific knee injury he suffered during the final preseason game of his rookie campaign last August.

As frustrating as the recent news was for Spence to digest, his attitude regarding the entire situation seems to be extremely upbeat according to Teresa Varley of Steelers.com:

"I beat a lot of odds, … People thought I would never be able to walk again without a brace, never be able to run again without a brace. I did all of that. I think unfortunately I just didn’t have enough time. I have a sense of comfort knowing that I will be able to play again."

Although Spence will be unable to practice with the team, it is definitely a positive sign that he almost worked his way back onto the 53-man roster this fall after many believed that his career was finished on that fateful night almost 15 months ago. With depth an issue at inside linebacker, Spence should receive plenty of opportunities to capitalize during the offseason.

I for one will be rooting for the guy, and I am sure that “Steeler Nation” will be as well.

Stats & Contract Info. Provided By: ESPN.com, Steelers.com , Spotrac, and Pro Football Reference

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