LATROBE, Pa. (AP) – The catharsis came inside a crowded restaurant on that raucous Friday night in late April when James Conner picked up the phone and Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was on the other end telling Conner he was about to be selected in the third round of the NFL draft.
That’s when the tears came. That’s when Conner took a deep breath and celebrated the final steps in his draining journey from marginal college prospect to record-setting running back to cancer patient to the highest level of his chosen profession.
There were no tears when Conner arrived at Saint Vincent College on Thursday to start training camp. No moment in the dorm room he’s sharing with second-round pick Juju Smith-Schuster to think about just how far he’s come.
If Conner is being honest. He’s ready to move on. While his spirited and ultimately one-sided battle with lymphoma in 2015 and 2016 turned the former Pitt star into a role model, made #ConnerStrong very much a thing and turned his No. 30 Steelers jersey into a hot seller before he even signed his contract now he sees himself as just another rookie trying to make it.
“There’s no emotion (about) being a cancer survivor and everything,” Conner said Friday as the Steelers opened camp. “I’m a good football player. All the emotional part, ‘Oh wow, I’m in the NFL,’ that’s all behind me.”