LATROBE, Pa. -- James Conner brought the right attitude to Saint Vincent College for Steelers training camp. That is unquestionable.
Thursday, Conner reported for duty, rolling in casually before greeting his teammates and unloading bags from the back of a black Chevy Tahoe. As he strolled past the media members gathered to watch the players' arrivals, Conner said hello.
No, literally.
James Conner says hello. #dkps #steelers pic.twitter.com/0mvhJMLSZ1
— Hunter Alek Homistek (@HunterAHomistek) July 25, 2019
Such a polite young man.
Then, Conner came back up the steps and held court for a quick media session, discussing his thoughts on returning for another year of Steelers training camp and more. As expected, Conner, a third-year back with high expectations heading into the 2019 season, was all business.
"I put in some great work this summer, so I’m just here to make plays and just be around the guys and chase greatness with the whole team," he said.
While Conner's remaining humble and focused, the fact remains: He's the man in that Steelers backfield for 2019. He'll be pushed and complemented by Jaylen Samuels and rookie Benny Snell, sure, but Conner is the Pro Bowler here. Last season, filling in for a holdout-bound Le'Veon Bell, Conner put up 973 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns alongside 497 yards and a score through the air.
Even more impressively, due to injury, he did that in 12 starts.
And although Conner is certainly not turning his nose up at what he accomplished, he realizes it means little for the team this year. The new season brings a new challenge, and with that, he needs to move on from the success of last year.
"Nothing that I did last year can help me this year," Conner said. "No play I made, no touchdown scored is going to help us this year. So really, you just gotta start fresh, start with a clean slate. You’re getting judged every day, so I’m going to come to work every day. Like I said, nothing I did last year can help us this year, so it’s time to work.”
Conner now begins a long, intense training camp that leads into preseason action and to the Steelers' regular-season opener Sept. 8 against the Patriots. For him, keeping this journey in context involves taking things one step at a time.
“You just gotta enjoy the whole process," Conner said. "You just gotta take it day by day. This is where we get better. These days in Latrobe are going to help us when we get to Heinz [Field] and on the road during the season, so we just embrace it. Time goes by fast. This is my third year, so this time we spend with each other, just being isolated and having bed check and hanging out with the guys and eating together, doing everything together, I cherish these moments and it’s going to help us later on down the line.”
Conner, despite entering just his third year, looks to be a leader among the running backs. Samuels is entering his sophomore year in the pros, while Snell is new to it all. Only little-used fullback Roosevelt Nix has more tenure, and just by one season. Conner has the experience, both in terms of years spent in the league and in terms of playing time and success on the field. It's his responsibility, then, to help the younger players adapt.
And that's a challenge he cherishes.
“The running back group, we’re going to come; I’ll make sure of it, that all of us are ready to play," Conner said.
