The Conner File
- Two Pro Bowl selections, 2018, 2021
- ACC Player of the Year, 2014
- ACC Offensive Player of the Year, 2014
- Two First-Team All-ACC selections, 2014, 2016
- AFCA First-Team All-American, 2014
Nothing Can Stop James Conner
We hear athletes talk about what's next all the time. The next game, week, or series will be the toughest one yet. Everybody is always looking ahead for the biggest obstacle they'll have to clear.
For James Conner, that obstacle is in the rear-view mirror. Conner missed almost all of the 2015 college football season after tearing his MCL. While rehabbing his knee, Conner was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Despite spiraling into even more uncertainty, Conner fought his way back to the football field. Conner was declared cancer-free before the beginning of his final season at Pitt. He would log over 1,000 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in 2016.
Conner has proven himself as an inspiration for those fighting serious illnesses and reminds us that there are things in life a lot bigger than football. Still, each snap taken is a reminder of the battle Conner fought and came out on top of. Maybe he gets hurt again. Maybe Arizona runs into some tough defenses down the road. It won't matter. It'll be light work for a man with his strength and perseverance.