Pittsburgh Panthers RB James Conner announces he is cancer-free

Conner was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in December, but has stayed incredibly positive for the past six months while apparently giving cancer the beating of its life. Conner was already planning on playing this upcoming season, and with the cancer gone this quickly, it’s difficult to see him missing much time at all, if any. After all, this video of Conner hauling ass through his first post-treatment practice drill was taken all the way back in February.

Conner is entering his fourth year at Pitt, but will have two years of eligibility left after receiving his medical redshirt for the 2015 season. Before anyone knew anything about Conner’s illness, he missed almost the entire 2015 season after tearing his MCL in the Panthers’ season opener.

In Conner’s last full season, 2014, he rushed for 1,765 yards and 26 touchdowns, averaging a robust 5.92 yards per carry despite getting a heavy workload of 298 carries. Pitt dropped from 31st to 56th in the nation in terms of yards per play between 2014 and 2015, as if there was any question as to how important he was to their offense. Conner’s impact on the football field is all well and good, but by far the most important thing about this news is that a young man with a bright future has a clean bill of health.