PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – He said he noticed it immediately when the NFL schedule came out, but December seemed so far away. It’s now the week, the time for James Conner’s return to Pittsburgh.
“It’s a special place, starting back in college at the same stadium,” Conner said. “As soon as I graduated high school, then right down to training camp. A special, special place for sure.”
The journey two hours south of his home town started a decade ago as the Erie McDowell HS running back made an immediate impact on the Pitt program. Conner rushed for 119 yards in his second college game and then 173 yards the next week in his first ACC game against Duke. He added to his story the day after Christmas, when facing Bowling Green in a bowl game, he rushed for 229 yards while also taking snaps on defense.
His sophomore year was spectacular, six games over 150 yards, a trio over 200 including 263 yards and three touchdowns against Duke. Conner would finish with 1,765 yards and 26 touchdowns. He was the ACC Player of the Year.
Just when he was at the height of his powers and talk of Conner being a Heisman candidate, he injured his knee in the 2015 season opener and was lost for the year.
That wasn’t the worst news, he would find out in December he had cancer.
Conner fought it as bravely as he played. He inspired others while getting treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma all while attending Pitt Spring workouts. Early in his return to the field in 2016, he rushed for 117 yards in a win over Penn State. Then that improbable win at Clemson, rushing for 132 yards with another 57 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Few athletes have ever had the wide-ranging impact Conner had and has in Western Pennsylvania.
“I feel the love,” Conner said Wednesday in Arizona. “There is a lot of love in the City. I got a lot of respect for the people there. I was dealing with all types of injuries and cancer and the Steelers still selected me. I’m forever grateful for that. The University of Pittsburgh was one of the few schools that gave me a scholarship. I got nothing but love for the people. It’s all love.”
Conner blossomed in his second year with the Steelers as well, rushing for 973 yards and 12 touchdowns in just 13 games. Expectations grew, but nagging injuries slowed him down and he never duplicated his second-year success. After four seasons, Conner said it was God’s plan to find another opportunity.
Going out to the West Coast has been a blessing for him. He said he realized he needed a change after spending his whole life in Western PA. It’s been good for his growth. He was out of his comfort zone, alone, taking on a new challenge and he found out a lot about himself.
This season, 526 yards in eight games and a career-high 5.1 yards a carry. It’s worked out for him, now he’s excited to return with about 15-20 family and friends in attendance Sunday at Acrisure Stadium and likely 65,000 who appreciate and respect him as a person and player.
But make no mistake, it is a business trip.
“I’m just going to come to play,” Conner said. “I’m just going to be me, truthfully. It’s been three years now. If it was the following year, there would be more to it. I’ve been a Cardinal for a while now. Just going to play my game, do what I do and try to put my best on the field.”
After the game, he said there will be time for hugs and hopefully time for all fans to appreciate how this Western Pennsylvania boy turned into a remarkable man.