In one of the better stories from day two of the NFL Draft, James Conner was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the third round.
With the 105th pick of the draft in the third round, the Pittsburgh Steelers selected cancer survivor and University of Pittsburgh running back James Conner on Friday night.
One of the feel-good stories from the entire draft, Conner battled through a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s lymphoma to return to the field. Even while battling the diagnosis and injuries through his collegiate career, Conner proved that he deserved to be on the field, and deserves to be in the NFL.
In the span of a year and a half, Conner went from being diagnosed with cancer in the fall of 2015, to landing a spot on an NFL roster at the NFL Draft.
The running back is a Disney Spirit award winner, along with earning the ACC Brian Piccolo Award for how he overcame his diagnosis, which is impressive enough on its own. Conner wasn’t done, as he earned recognition as first-time all-conference with 216 carries for 1,092 yards and 16 touchdowns last season.
Those stats go along with an impressive performance as a sophomore, where he ran for 1,765 yards and 26 touchdowns, earning himself second-team AP All-American status and ACC Player of the Year awards.
The room Conner was in for the round was obviously an emotional and stressful situation, and video surfaced of Conner getting the call before the Steelers picked up Pennsylvania’s own. Born in Erie, PA and a University of Pittsburgh alum, Conner will fit in perfectly as a member of the Steelers backfield.
JAMES CONNER GOT A PHONE CALLLLLLL pic.twitter.com/xWySTxo1ca
— Beau Berman (@BeauReports) April 29, 2017
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Conner is the highest drafted RB from the University of Pittsburgh since LeSean McCoy was drafted by the Eagles in the second round in 2009. He will get the chance to learn under one of the league’s best in LeVeon Bell in Pittsburgh, and will remain one of the great moments of an unforgettable NFL Draft.