Mar 5, 2017 5 min read

INDIANAPOLIS – James Conner knew he wasn’t going to be the fastest running back at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Conner also knew he might not be the biggest, most agile or even be the strongest.

What he did know is that none of the other running backs who worked out for NFL scouts and coaches over the weekend at Lucas Oil Stadium will have shown more of a passion for the game – or for life, for that matter – than Conner.

The three-inch scar that runs down the right side of his neck is there as a constant reminder of what he’s been through and where he’s come from to reach this point in his career.

When you’ve beaten cancer – in Conner’s case, stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma – to not only return to the football field but do so in a starring role, you deserve all of the accolades.

In a sport filled with tough guys, Conner might be the king of the hill.

“That’s what I like to explain to the coaches,” Conner said. “I ask the coaches, ‘What do you guys want in a running back?’ They want a tough guy. My mental toughness and my physical toughness, I feel, is second to none. I just have been through so much and I think I’m more determined than any running back in this class. I’m just willing to make sacrifices and do whatever it takes.”

The 2014 ACC Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore when he rushed for 1,765 yards and 26 touchdowns, Conner had his junior season begin with an MCL sprain in Pitt’s season-opener. While waiting for the knee to heal, he went to doctors to complain of pain in his chest. It was then the cancer was discovered.

After undergoing chemotherapy, surgery and other treatments, he was cleared to return to the football field last season, when he rushed for 1,092 yards and 16 touchdowns. He finished his career with an ACC-record 56 touchdowns and the respect of teammates and opponents.

“Everyone here should be inspired by his story,” said Pitt teammate and left tackle Adam Bisnowaty. “For anyone to have cancer, which is a horrible thing, and then go ahead and beat it and come back to play a game he loves is … unreal. So, it’s just such an inspiration, especially when he was going through all that chemotherapy.

“That’s who he is. It’s really. I’m getting goosebumps thinking about it. Because he was getting treatment, coming in the next day and working out with us at 5:30 in the morning. And if he could do it, that really pushed me even harder.”

Conner got a clean bill of health last week from his oncologist at UPMC. His cancer is in remission. He’s able to get on with his career.

The 6-1 Conner weighed in at the combine at a solid 233 pounds – about 15 pounds lighter than his playing weight at Pitt – and ran the 40-yard dash in 4.65 seconds. He bench pressed 225 pounds 20 times. He also showed off his excellent receiving skills.

Just as important, if not more so, were his personal interviews. There were some questions about his cancer.

“It’s not many questions I’m hearing,” Conner said. “I’m hearing a lot of congratulations. I’m up to date. They all got a copy of that, so there’s really no questions about that.”

Working in Conner’s favor in this draft is the story of a current NFL star with a similar battle. Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro safety Eric Berry beat lymphoma to return to the football field.

Just last week, Berry was given a 6-year, $78-million contract by the Chiefs, making him the highest-paid safety in NFL history.

“That’s my guy,” Conner said of Berry, who sent him inspiring text messages throughout his recovery process.

Now, Conner wants to show he can be the guy for a future NFL employer.

Conner knows he won’t be the first running back selected in the draft, which will be held April 27-29. He’s currently considered a mid-round draft pick and did nothing over the weekend to hurt that status.

“This right here, trying to fulfill my ultimate goal of being in the NFL,” Conner said. “I just had that goal to be an NFL player, so during treatments, this was on my mind, getting closer to my dream.”

Odds and end zones

Waynesburg native Scott Orndoff completed his on-field workouts at the combine. The 253-pound tight end ran a 4.84 in the 40-yard dash and bench pressed 225 pounds 17 times. He had a standing broad jump of 9 feet, 4 inches and a three-cone drill time of 7.37 seconds, both of which were among the top 10 at his position. … Belle Vernon’s Dorian Johnson, a guard from Pitt, ran a 5.27 in the 40-yard dash at 300 pounds and bench pressed 225 pounds 21 times. His standing broad jump of 9-6 was second among offensive linemen at the combine, while his 30-inch vertical jump was fifth.