It's unclear if Pittsburgh Steelers LB Ryan Shazier will ever walk again -- but he's got a new ally who knows EXACTLY what he's going through ... Eric LeGrand.
LeGrand -- a former Rutgers football player -- was paralyzed in 2010 while making a tackle on a kickoff in a game against Army.
He busted his ass in rehab and made tremendous progress in his recovery -- Eric vows to walk again.
Now, LeGrand tells TMZ Sports ... he's already reached out to Shazier to offer any assistance he can provide to the NFL player -- whether it's advice, friendship or doctor recommendations.
"We're sending him a bunch of Team LeGrand stuff. I'm sending him my book and I'm hoping everything works out well for him because he's in our prayers and we're there for him."