James Conner (American football) facts for kids
Conner in 2023
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| No. 6 – Arizona Cardinals | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | May 5, 1995 Erie, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
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| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 233 lb (106 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | McDowell (Millcreek Township, Pennsylvania) | ||||||||||||
| College: | Pittsburgh (2013–2016) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2017 / Round: 3 / Pick: 105 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||||
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| Player stats at PFR | |||||||||||||
James Earl Conner (born May 5, 1995) is an American professional football player. He is a running back for the Arizona Cardinals in the National Football League (NFL). Before joining the NFL, he played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers. In 2014, he was named an AFCA first-team All-American and won the ACC Player of the Year award. The Pittsburgh Steelers picked him in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft.
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Early Life and High School Football
James Conner grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania. He went to McDowell High School. There, he was a star player on the football team. He played both as a running back and a defensive lineman. In his senior year, he ran for 1,680 yards and scored 26 touchdowns. In August 2012, he decided to play college football at the University of Pittsburgh.
College Football Journey
Starting Strong: 2013 Season
As a freshman in 2013, James played in 12 games. He made his first college appearance against Florida State. The next week, he scored his first touchdown against New Mexico. He ran for 119 yards in that game. In the Little Caesars Bowl, he set a school record. He rushed for 226 yards and scored a touchdown. He was even named the MVP of the bowl game! He led his team with 799 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
Record-Breaking: 2014 Season
Conner had an amazing sophomore year in 2014. In the first game, he rushed for 153 yards and scored four touchdowns. Later, he had two games in a row with over 200 rushing yards. He ran for a career-high 263 yards against Duke. He also scored four touchdowns against North Carolina.
He finished the season with 1,765 rushing yards. He also set an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) record. He scored 26 rushing touchdowns that year. He was named the ACC Player of the Year. He also earned first-team All-American honors.
Facing Challenges: 2015 Season
The 2015 season started tough for James. In the first game, he injured his MCL. This injury meant he missed the rest of his junior year. During his recovery, doctors found something else. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer. James bravely said, "I choose to not fear cancer... I will play football again." He went through 12 rounds of chemotherapy. He continued to train with his team when he could.
Triumphant Return: 2016 Season
James made a powerful comeback in 2016. He played in the first game against Villanova. He scored a rushing touchdown and his first receiving touchdown. In a big win against Penn State, he rushed for 117 yards. He also scored another receiving touchdown. Later, he had a season-high 141 rushing yards and three touchdowns against Virginia Tech.
On December 10, 2016, James announced he would enter the 2017 NFL draft. He decided to leave college early for the NFL.
College Statistics Overview
| Season | Team | GP | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | |||
| 2013 | Pittsburgh | 12 | 146 | 799 | 5.5 | 45 | 8 | 3 | 33 | 11.0 | 13 | 0 |
| 2014 | Pittsburgh | 13 | 298 | 1,765 | 5.9 | 75T | 26 | 5 | 70 | 14.0 | 40 | 0 |
| 2015 | Pittsburgh | 1 | 8 | 77 | 9.6 | 40 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 | 0 |
| 2016 | Pittsburgh | 13 | 216 | 1,092 | 5.1 | 40T | 16 | 21 | 302 | 14.4 | 55T | 4 |
| Career | 39 | 668 | 3,733 | 5.6 | 75T | 52 | 30 | 412 | 13.7 | 55T | 4 | |
Professional Football Career
Joining the NFL: Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers picked James Conner in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He was the eighth running back chosen that year. His jersey was the top-selling NFL jersey in July 2017! On May 11, 2017, he signed a four-year contract with the Steelers.
2017 Season
James started his first NFL season as the backup running back. He made his NFL debut against the Cleveland Browns. He finished his rookie year with 144 rushing yards. An MCL injury later in the season put him on injured reserve.
2018 Season: A Breakout Year
In 2018, James became the starting running back for the Steelers. This happened because the main running back, Le'Veon Bell, was holding out. James had an amazing first start against the Browns. He rushed for 135 yards and scored two touchdowns. He led all players in rushing yards in Week 1.
He continued to play well throughout the season. He had 110 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Atlanta Falcons. He also had 111 rushing yards and two touchdowns against the Cincinnati Bengals. In Week 8, he had his best game yet. He rushed for 146 yards and two touchdowns against the Browns. For his great play, he was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. He was also named AFC Offensive Player of the Month for October.
James was chosen for the 2019 Pro Bowl, which is a huge honor. He was even named the starting running back for the AFC team! He finished the 2018 season with 973 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns. He also had 497 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.
2019 Season
In 2019, James faced some injuries. He got hurt in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. He returned later and had a strong game against the Los Angeles Chargers. He rushed for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass. In Week 8, he rushed for 145 yards and a touchdown against the Miami Dolphins. He was again named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. Despite injuries, he finished the season with 464 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns.
2020 Season
James started the 2020 season with an ankle injury. But he quickly bounced back. In Week 2, he rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown against the Denver Broncos. He had another strong game with 109 rushing yards against the Houston Texans. In Week 6, he rushed for 101 yards and a touchdown against the Browns. In November 2020, he tested positive for COVID-19 and was out for a short time. He finished the season with 721 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.
Moving to the Arizona Cardinals
2021 Season
On April 13, 2021, James Conner signed a one-year deal with the Arizona Cardinals. He quickly became a key player for them. In Week 9, he helped the Cardinals win against the San Francisco 49ers. He had 173 total yards and scored three touchdowns. In Week 14, he had 125 total yards and two rushing touchdowns against the Los Angeles Rams. He finished the season as the Cardinals' top rusher with 752 yards. He also scored a career-high 15 rushing touchdowns, which was second-most in the league! He was named to the Pro Bowl again.
2022 Season
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In March 2022, James signed a new three-year contract with the Cardinals. In Week 12, he rushed for 120 yards and scored a receiving touchdown against the Chargers. He finished the 2022 season with 782 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns. He also had 300 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.
2023 Season
In Week 5 of 2023, James had a knee injury. He was placed on injured reserve but returned in November. He had a great game against his old team, the Steelers, rushing for 105 yards and two touchdowns. In Week 17, he rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns against the Eagles. In the final game of the season, he rushed for a career-high 150 yards. This performance helped him reach over 1,000 rushing yards for the first time in his career! He finished the 2023 season with 1,040 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns in 13 games.
2024 Season
On November 30, 2024, James and the Cardinals agreed to a new two-year contract. In Week 2, he rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown against the Rams. He had 152 total yards in Week 7 against the Chargers. In Week 15, he rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns against the New England Patriots. He played a career-high 16 games before a knee injury sidelined him in Week 18. He finished the 2024 season with 1,094 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. He also had 414 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.
NFL Career Statistics
Regular Season Stats
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2017 | PIT | 14 | 0 | 32 | 144 | 4.5 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | PIT | 13 | 12 | 215 | 973 | 4.5 | 30 | 12 | 55 | 497 | 9.0 | 29 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| 2019 | PIT | 10 | 10 | 116 | 464 | 4.0 | 25 | 4 | 34 | 251 | 7.4 | 26T | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020 | PIT | 13 | 11 | 169 | 721 | 4.3 | 59 | 6 | 35 | 215 | 6.1 | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021 | ARI | 15 | 6 | 202 | 752 | 3.7 | 35 | 15 | 37 | 375 | 10.1 | 45 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 2022 | ARI | 13 | 13 | 183 | 782 | 4.3 | 23 | 7 | 46 | 300 | 6.5 | 22 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| 2023 | ARI | 13 | 13 | 208 | 1,040 | 5.0 | 44 | 7 | 27 | 165 | 6.1 | 34 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | ARI | 16 | 16 | 236 | 1,094 | 4.6 | 53 | 8 | 47 | 414 | 8.8 | 44 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Career | 107 | 81 | 1,361 | 5,970 | 4.4 | 59 | 281 | 2,217 | 7.9 | 45 | 11 | 16 | 5 | ||
Playoff Stats
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2017 | PIT | 0 | 0 | Did not play due to injury | |||||||||||
| 2020 | PIT | 1 | 1 | 11 | 37 | 3.4 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 30 | 6.0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | ARI | 1 | 0 | 4 | 19 | 4.8 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 2 | 1 | 15 | 56 | 3.7 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 35 | 5.8 | 9 | 0 | 0 | ||
Personal Life and Overcoming Challenges
James Conner was raised by his parents, Kelly Patterson and Glen Conner Sr. He is the youngest of five brothers. He studied communication at the University of Pittsburgh. His brother, Glen Jr., also plays football for a local team.
On December 4, 2015, James shared big news. He announced he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of cancer. He had torn his MCL earlier that year. During his recovery, he felt very tired. Doctors found the cancer after a chest x-ray. He went through 12 rounds of chemotherapy. Even during treatment, he kept training with his football team.
James appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on April 21, 2016. He met Kansas City Chiefs' player Eric Berry there. Eric Berry also overcame Hodgkin's lymphoma. James looked up to Eric as an inspiration. They had talked before but never met in person.
On May 23, 2016, James shared even more good news on Twitter. He announced that he was cancer-free!
During the 2018 season, James started growing a mullet hairstyle. It became very popular with Steelers fans. He embraced the local "Yinzer" culture of Pittsburgh. Many famous Pittsburgh sports stars have also worn this hairstyle.
