Steelers select heroic RB James Conner with pick 105 of 2017 NFL Draft

by Christina "Tina" Rivers (3Rivers_Writer) on April 29, 2017

The Pittsburgh Steelers used their compensatory pick in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft to select a player with one of the most moving feel-good comeback stories in modern college football: James Conner.

With the 105th pick in the 2017 #NFLDraft, we select RB James Conner. pic.twitter.com/xPkX1ceIOf

— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) April 29, 2017

The Pitt Panther running back overcame Hodgkin’s lymphoma and battled like a true champion getting himself back onto the football field and into excellent playing shape. Conner made a name for himself as a player by earning first-team all-conference honors and rushing for 1,092 yards on 216 carries with 16 touchdowns in 2016. These accomplishments led to him winning the Disney Spirit Award and ACC Brian Piccolo Award. To his teammates he was a leader and the type of guy that pushed them to be accountable and work harder.

“From day one I’ve just always tried to lead by example and show my work ethic off,” Conner told NFL Films in an episode of Unstoppable. “It was easy for me to get comfortable here [at Pittsburgh] and make great friends in my teammates and they all became brothers to me.”

As a true freshman, Conner broke Tony Dorsett‘s bowl game rushing record and set a school bowl record with 229 yards against Bowling Green at the Little Caesar’s Bowl while also being voted MVP for the game. He continued to rack up nice statistics throughout his sophomore season. The cancer wasn’t discovered until 2015 when Conner was rehabilitating a torn right MCL. Undaunted, feeling the effects of chemotherapy, Conner pushed himself through drills. At times he wore a mask to keep from exposing himself to anything that could hinder his progress by giving him a secondary infection. Once Conner was deemed cancer free, the kid battled for more.

Univeristy of Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi sent out the following message on Twitter on Friday night:

.@CoachDuzzPittFB on the @steelers drafting @JamesConner_. pic.twitter.com/mwyYMVfhKv

— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) April 29, 2017

Conner will get the opportunity to show just how much his heart is into football as he joins Le’Veon Bell on the Steelers roster. Already, talk of the potential one-two punch of Bell and Conner is spreading across social media. Bell’s patient gliding style will be complimented perfectly by Conner’s battle-ram style. As said on the NFL Network broadcast, Bell will break your ankles and Conner will break your face mask. The Steelers had one of the most potent, dangerous offenses in the league in 2016 and Conner will find himself in good company on a squad hungry for another Lombardi Trophy in 2017.

TFW you’re James Conner and you just got drafted by the Steelers pic.twitter.com/t6uP1fdfWr

— 🅱eau 🅱erman (@BeauWTAE) April 29, 2017

There is every reason to believe that Conner could become the next true power back for the Steelers. With one of the best pulling and blocking offensive lines in front of him, Conner can overcome a lack of speed with the type of blue collar work ethic Steelers fans love to see, especially when deep in the red zone. While he isn’t known for having great hands, Conner was effective as a receiver out of the backfield with the Panthers and should give Todd Haley another tool to throw in the mix. Bell also wasn’t known for his hands coming out of college though, and he is now one of the best receiving backs in the league. The city of Pittsburgh loves players with heart and guts – Conner fits that bill perfectly.