After missing OTAs, Conner to compete for job with Bell out

LATROBE, Pa. — When James Conner was drafted by the Steelers in the third round, the former Pitt running back experienced a rush of emotions.

After battling Hodgkins lymphoma and recovering from a torn MCL, Conner had fulfilled his dream of reaching the NFL.

Now he's ready to prove he belongs.

The shock has since subsided, and so has the hamstring injury that forced him to miss all of OTAs this spring. Conner joined the Steelers' backfield Friday for the first day of training camp practices at Saint Vincent College, and he will be tasked with helping fill the void with Le'Veon Bell gone.



"He sets the bar with his receiving, running ability and pass blocking," Conner told reporters after his first training camp walkthrough. "In every category, to me, he’s the best running back in the game. I’ve gotta get in rhythm. It will give me an opportunity to work with Ben a bit. Try to not have a dropoff and maintain the rhythm whenever Le’Veon comes out of the game."

Conner, who finished second in Pitt program history with 3,733 career rushing yards and is the ACC's all-time touchdowns leader, will compete with Knile Davis, Fitzgerald Touissant and Brandon Brown-Dukes for the job of backing up Bell.

But Bell has yet to sign his exclusive franchise tender and has not reported to training camp. That likely puts Davis,  Conner or Toussaint atop the depth chart for now. Conner has the pedigree, and Davis has experience.

Diagnosed with cancer in November 2015, Conner returned to the field last August for the Panthers, quickly becoming the starting running back and asserting himself as one of the top tailbacks in college football.

He ran for 1,092 yards and 16 touchdowns last fall, and honed one skill that could prove to be invaluable as he tries to make his stay in the NFL a long one. Conner caught 21 passes for 302 yards and four touchdowns.

Becoming an all-around back made him a target of the Steelers and landed him with the franchise less than 130 miles south of his hometown of Erie.

Conner said his work is far from complete, though, especially since the hamstring injury prevented him from making an impact in the spring.

"All I know is I have to master this playbook and be ready," Conner said. "I’m taking it day by day and trying to learn as much as I can."

When practice was moved to Greater Latrobe Senior High School Friday afternoon, Conner received carries with the second- and third-team offense. Davis and Toussaint both saw time with the first time.

Despite his role in the offense being unknown, there is plenty of hype surrounding the former ACC Player of the Year.

He has the third-highest-selling jersey this month, according to Dick's Sporting Goods, calling that trend a sign of "love" from his fans, though he is not letting jersey sales distract him.

Conner is "excited" to finally put on pads for Sunday's practice, and he's not the only one ready to see how he performs. Antonio Brown was asked Thursday which player he was looking forward to seeing on the field the most and the five-time Pro Bowl selection said Conner.

"If I see a tweet that says I’m number one [in jersey sales] you feel good for about five seconds and then you realize you haven’t played yet," Conner said. "You get back to reality real quick."

The reality is Conner has to win a spot in training camp and Davis was signed in March for a reason. Davis was drafted in the third round by the Chiefs in 2013 and showed flashes of brilliance in 2014 when Jamaal Charles went down with an injury, rushing for 463 yards and six touchdowns.

Davis has struggled ever since and was traded to the Packers last October. He was waived less than a month later, spent two days with the Jets and signed back with the Chiefs to finish the season.

Though Davis is more skilled as a returner, Mike Tomlin said he wants to see what the veteran can do in the backfield.

"We will see," Tomlin said Thursday. "That's why we are here in Latrobe. All of these guys will be given an opportunity to carve out a role for themselves. Knile is a guy that comes with somewhat of a resume, particularly as a return man. We are interested in seeing what he can do as a ball carrier as well."

With Bell gone, there are six running backs in training camp, but none have the track record of DeAngelo Williams, whom the Steelers did not re-sign and has yet to be signed by another team.

That makes the spot a significant question mark, but Conner said he knows he belongs.

"Believe in yourself," Conner said. "I believe in myself, overcoming all odds ever since high school. I still know how to play football. The game speed is faster. People are better, but I got better. I know I can play."

MATT SUNDAY GALLERY