It was 2013 and I was off to visit my brother at yes, The University of Pittsburgh, for the very first time. I was excited to see my brother and how he was doing; however, I was more excited to watch, at the time, my favorite college football team, Notre Dame. I was expecting to see Notre Dame win, instead a saw an upset, and a local freshman carry Pittsburgh with two touchdowns. The fans loved him, it was hard not to. He had so much energy and had a bright future ahead of him.
Let me introduce to you James Conner. A driven running back from Erie, Pennsylvania whose fame blossomed far beyond just an exciting athlete and into a loving hero.
In 2014, James Conner was named the Atlantic Coastal Conference Player of the Year and a First-Team All-American for his record breaking 26 touchdowns and 1,765 rushing yards. James Conner had the Pittsburgh Panther’s hopeful for a bright 2015, but his campaign was cut short after suffering a torn MCL during the opening game. What was thought to be a common injury, became anyone’s worst nightmare.
During rehab, Conner just didn’t feel the same. His knee was feeling fine; however, he felt pressure in his head and was unable to sleep. After a PET scan, doctors uncovered that Conner had a 14cm tumor surrounding his heart. On that day, Conner was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, and was given a week to live if his current conditions remained. Conner didn’t collapse under the news and his motivation guided him through. He followed his words that “fear is a choice” and that this diagnoses “wasn’t about life or death, it was, could I play football?” We expect these patients to recover with rest in the arms of family and friends.
James was different.
After rounds of chemo, Conner wouldn’t lay in the hospital room. He would go to where his heart was, the football field with his brothers. Working out the day of treatment showed that no matter how difficult are day may be, we can keep going. Pitt Football released a video of James working out with a mask on during treatment. The sight was shocking to many, and an inspiration to ESPN reporter Holly Rowe. Like James, Holly Rowe was tirelessly fighting cancer, but after seeing that video, she got up and decided to walk 3 miles on the treadmill. His strength wasn’t always for him, it was for the people around him.
On May 23, 2016 James received the long-awaited call from his doctor that he was cancer free and cleared to play opening day. He shined the rest of his career at Pittsburgh and was drafted in the 3rd round of the NFL Draft to his hometown, Pittsburgh Steelers. It was a dream come true to play in the NFL, but his role now wasn’t just to be a football player. He may not admit it, but he was a hero.