Running back James Conner will run out of the tunnel today at Heinz Field to make an emotional return to the football field after beating cancer. At least 400 fans from his high school in Erie, Pa., will be there, along with his family, and the doctors and nurses who helped him in his journey back.
The joy of sport doesn’t get much purer than that.
“I’ve been thinking about that since forever ago. The anticipation is real. I’m ready for it all,” Conner said earlier this week. “My teammates have my back, and I’ve got their back. They can count on me, and I can count on them.”
Conner’s return will be the marquee story of Pitt’s 2016 football opener against Villanova at Heinz Field, and for good reason. He is ready to run, but so are his teammates.
Coach Pat Narduzzi vowed the entire team will bring its best against their Football Championship Subdivision opponents at 1:30 p.m., and not try to hide the playbook from their future ACC opponents.
“We will not be conservative,” Narduzzi said. “We’re going to give them everything we’ve got really.”
And run, he says, they will do.
“We’re going to run the football,” Narduzzi said. “We’ve got some big tailbacks that are probably hard to get down and we’re going to utilize those guys and we’ve got a big offensive line. So, it’s what we did last year, and [we’ll] continue to do this year, but we’ll change it up.”
Conner’s medial collateral ligament in his right knee was torn in the team’s opener last year and he later was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. Doctors declared him cancer-free in May.
He rushed for 1,765 yards in 2014, and, in his absence, Qadree Ollison rushed for 1,121 last season.
The two are joined by sophomore Darrin Hall and freshman Chawntez Moss at running back and complemented by an offensive line led by All-ACC standouts Dorian Johnson (guard) and Adam Bisnowaty (tackle).
“I’m just ready to run,” Conner said. “Everybody keeps asking me how I’m doing. I’m just like ‘You’ll figure it out for yourself on the third [of September].’”
Narduzzi said earlier this week that Conner has seemed happier and thankful to be present.
“I know when this thing started less than a year ago, James came up to the coaches and said ‘I’m going to beat this thing and I’m going to tell a story,’” recalled Narduzzi. “To me, that’s like the last chapter when he walks back out on that football field. I think it’s going to be an emotional moment for our team and certainly for me.
“I haven’t really been thinking about it. Maybe I’ll think about it the night before. That’s the finishing part of his story. Maybe there’s an extra chapter at the end there.”
He also said Conner will not be limited physically in any way.
Conner said his recent past will forever remind him to be grateful.
“I’ve always been that type, but every day, and [for] the first time in my life, I’ve got a constant reminder to always be grateful for the position I’m in,” Conner said. “I’m always smiling.”
Jenn Menendez: [email protected] and Twitter @JennMenendez.
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