Former Pitt Star RB Excelling With Cardinals

A former Pitt running back is excelling with the Arizona Cardinals.

Dec 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) against the New England Patriots at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

PITTSBURGH -- Former Pitt Panthers star running back James Conner has had a sensational 2024 season and it got even better this past weekend.

Conner had one of his best games of 2024 in the 30-17 home win over the New England Patriots on Dec. 15 in Week 15. He rushed 16 times for 110 yards, 6.8 yards per carry, for two touchdowns and made five catches for 28 yards in the victory.

He has had a fantastic 2024 season for the Cardinals, with 217 carries for 973 yards, 4.48 yards per carry, and seven rushing touchdowns, as well as 41 catches for 361 yards, 8.8 yards per reception, and a receiving touchdown.

The win also improved Arizona to 7-7 and still fighting for both a chance at the NFC West Divisional Title or a NFC Wild Card spot. In the games that Conner amasses 100 yards or more from scrimmage, Arizona is 6-2 and when he doesn't, they're 1-5.

His play also earned him a two-year extension with the team back on Nov. 30, keeping him around Arizona for the upcoming years.

Conner played high school football for McDowell in Millcreek Township, Pa. in Erie County. He starred at both defensive line and running back, making this forced fumble earlier this season not the most unusual play for him.

He came to Pitt as both a defensive lineman and running back, but his play on offense kept him there to this day.

Conner finished his freshman season in 2013 with 799 yards and five touchdowns on 146 carries, 5.5 yards average, in 12 games. He also had 26 carries for 229 yards and a touchdown in the 30-27 win over Bowling Green in the Little Caesar's Pizza Bowl in Detroit, earning MVP honors.

He was the first true freshman for Pitt to lead the team in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns since Dion Lewis in 2009. Those 229 rushing yards also serve as a bowl record for the most in program history.

Conner's best season came in 2014 for the Panthers, as he had 298 carries for 1,765 yards and 26 touchdowns. His rushing touchdowns and rushing yards rank as the most and fourth most in a single season in Panthers' history, respectively.

He also had a career-high 263 rushing yards in a 51-48 double overtime loss to then ranked No. 24 Duke on Nov. 1, the eighth most in a game in Pitt history.

His four rushing touchdowns in both the 62-0 blowout of Delaware in the season opener and a 40-35 loss on the road to North Carolina, rank tied for third most in a game in Pitt history.

Conner earned ACC Player of the Year, First Team All-ACC and First Team All-American honors for his performance that season.

He would suffer a season-ending MCL tear in the 2015 season opener vs. Youngstown State. Doctors also diagnosed him with Hodgkin's Lymphoma during his rehabilitation and he eventually got cancer-free in the offseason.

Conner would have a great return in 2016, rushing 216 times for 1,092 yards and 16 touchdowns, along with 21 catches for 302 yards and four touchdowns. He earned First Team All-ACC honors and also the ACC Brian Piccolo Award, recognizing the most courageous player in the conference.

He finished his Pitt career with 3,373 rushing yards and 52 touchdowns, second most in program history in both categories behind the legendary Tony Dorsett.

The Pittsburgh Steelers took Conner in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft, making him the hometown pick. He spent four seasons with the team, playing 50 games, starting 33 of them and rushing for 2,302 yards and 22 touchdowns, while also making 124 receptions for 963 yards and four touchdowns.

Conner made the Pro Bowl in 2018, as he ran for 973 yards and 12 touchdowns, along with 55 catches for 55 catches and 497 yards and a receiving touchdown.

The Cardinals signed him as a free agent in 2021 and he is in his fourth season with the team. He has rushed for 3,547 yards and 36 touchdowns, while making 151 catches for 1,201 yards and seven touchdowns.

That game vs. the Patriots put Conner into third place for the most rushing yards in a career in Cardinals' history.

Conner also made his second Pro Bowl in 2021, with 202 carries for 752 yards and 15 touchdowns, plus 37 catches for 375 yards and three touchdowns.

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