The Pittsburgh Steelers dedicated Sunday's thrilling win over the Baltimore Ravens to injured linebacker Ryan Shazier and presented the game ball to him in his hospital bed via FaceTime.
"We love our brother, and we wanted to get this win for him, and I'm glad we did," said Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who left the field after the 39-38 win with Shazier's jersey draped over his shoulder.
Shazier remains in a University of Pittsburgh Medical Center hospital after undergoing spinal stabilization surgery Wednesday.
"You give that guy the game ball because we know his heart is in it," Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward said. "And he deserves it."
Steelers defensive end Stephon Tuitt called the FaceTime moment "something I'll never forget," though several of the players said they couldn't make out what Shazier said because of the locker room noise.
"We are going to give him the hat and T-shirt tonight," linebacker Vince Williams said of the Steelers' commemerative gear to mark their AFC North title, which they clinched with the win.
Coach Mike Tomlin prefers to keep his conversations with Shazier private but can't deny the linebacker's presence in his locker room.
"We are riding with that guy," Tomlin said. "He is strong. He is strengthening us."
Roethlisberger said he visited Shazier on Thursday after practice, which felt "like a weight was lifted off my back."
"When you walk in and see him and see the smile and give him a hug, it's really made all of us feel, just to kind of take that weight off and breathe a little easier," Roethlisberger said.
An outpouring of support for Shazier was evident at Heinz Field well before kickoff. Dozens of Steelers wore black T-shirts featuring the No. 50 with a yellow circle around it. Linebacker James Harrison stretched on the field with his shirt off, which was Shazier's famous pregame routine.
Shazier told ESPN's Josina Anderson in a text earlier Sunday night that he was "feeling a lot better."
Shazier was carted off the field after a collision with receiver Josh Malone in the first quarter of last Monday night's win over the Cincinnati Bengals. Shazier, who is expected to stay at the hospital for an undisclosed period, has remained upbeat throughout the week, several Steelers have said.
"You never want to lose anybody like that," Heyward said. "We have to compete and keep playing for Ryan."
Fifteen Steelers players also wore customized Shazier cleats. Those players were Vince Williams, Sean Davis, Stephon Tuitt, Cam Heyward, Arthur Moats, Tyson Alualu, Mike Hilton, T.J. Watt, Javon Hargrave, William Gay, Bud Dupree, Robert Golden, Roosevelt Nix, Anthony Chickillo and Antonio Brown.
Alualu posted on Instagram a photo of his cleats accompanied by a customized No. 50 Terrible Towel.
Fans added to the tribute with signs reading "We Love You Ryan," "Win one for Ryan!" and more.
Information from ESPN's Jeremy Fowler was used in this report.