By Anthony Cardone
When you think of fighting in sports, you’re probably thinking of fighting for a playoff spot, or fighting for a position or maybe even just great rivals that show their emotions in a game. However, the new starting Steelers running back, James Conner, has done more than just fight for a job in Pittsburgh.
James attended the University of Pittsburgh and had the talent to be a first-round pick, but instead ended up being a third-round pick in the 2017 draft due to horrific news he received two years before.
After tearing his MCL in 2015, doctors took X-rays which revealed more than broken bones.
On Dec. 4, 2015, James Conner was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the age of 20. He went through 12 rounds of chemotherapy, but still found time to go through drills with his college team.
On May 23, 2016, James sent out a tweet saying to the world he was cancer-free. He was drafted the next year. The only problem was he didn’t have a starting job. He was drafted by the Steelers, putting him behind one of the best running backs in the NFL, Le’Veon Bell. Given Bell’s injury problems, though, Conner would always get a few carries in games when Bell was out, and those carries helped build his name recognition.
The Steelers tried to apply the franchise tag to Bell for the second straight season. However, Bell has refused to sign the franchise tender, saying that he’d rather not play and then get a large contract after the season without incurring too much damage on his legs. Bell would need to report by Week 9 in order to qualify as having fulfilled the last year of the contract to become a free agent at season’s end.
Earlier in the offseason, the Steelers reportedly offered him big money, but he turned it down, demanding more.
So now, Bell is holding out, giving Conner the opportunity of a lifetime.
In the first game of the year against the Cleveland Browns, Conner did more than anyone could have expected. He led all running backs with 135 rushing yards, had 60 receiving yards and scored two of the three Steelers touchdowns; Pittsburgh went on to tie the Browns in overtime.
In Week 2 he found the end zone again while racking up 65 yards. It’s starting to look like the Steelers might not even need to re-sign Bell, as he continues to sit at home, watching the games from his couch.
To say James Conner’s is a “great story” is an understatement. He is an inspiration to everyone, and a man who didn’t give up and followed his dream. If he could continue this for this year and throughout his career, it wouldn’t just be a good story in football, but possibly in all of sports.
“I choose to not fear cancer, I will play football again,” Conner said after his diagnosis, and that’s exactly what he did.
