Pittsburgh RB and cancer survivor James Conner announces he will enter 2017 NFL draft

Pittsburgh Panthers running back James Conner announced Saturday that he’d forgo his senior season and enter the 2017 NFL draft.

Conner, 21, scored 16 rushing touchdowns and four receiving touchdowns during his junior season in 2016, but it was most impressive because it was a return to football after missing most of the 2015 season because of an MCL injury. But in December 2015, he announced he had Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“When I heard I got cancer, I was a little scared,” Conner said. “But fear is a choice. I chose not to fear cancer. We’re going to fight, and we’re going to beat this thing.”

Conner battled the disease during the offseason, connecting with cancer survivors like Kansas City Chiefs safety Eric Berry, who also dealt with a Hodgkin’s lymphoma diagnosis in December 2014.

His return to become a First-Team All-ACC honoree again in 2016 earned him the Disney Sports Spirit Award, given out every year to an inspirational figure in college football. He invited his oncologist to the ceremony and accepted the award with an emotional and inspiring interview.

Conner joins a talented crop of running backs in the 2017 NFL draft, including Stanford’s Christian McCaffrey and possibly other underclassmen such as Florida State’s Dalvin Cook and LSU’s Leonard Fournette.

Conner will play his final collegiate game on Dec. 28, when Pittsburgh faces Northwestern in the Pinstripe Bowl.