As a guest on The Adam Schefter Podcast, Pittsburgh Steelers running back talks about his expectations for the 2020 season.
Pittsburgh Steelers running back James Conner has been getting some work in recently with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and receivers JuJu Smith-Schuster and Ryan Switzer, and he was asked about it Monday as a guest on The Adam Schefter Podcast.
“I’ve been to his place. He’s looking good throwing the ball and he’s stylin’ now, too,” said Conner of Roethlisberger’s much-talked-about haircut and beard trim.
“It’s a Pittsburgh thing,” Conner added. “[Brett] Keisel had the beard. It’s part of Pittsburgh; that’s just how they do it.”
Conner said the experience of not being able to safely gather until recently has, ironically, brought them closer together.
“I think we’ve really grown this offseason as teammates and friends,” he said. “Just being around them is motivating and it’s encouraging.”
Conner has heart — this is a proven fact that the Steelers organization and its fans have known this since before Conner was even drafted. As he does every season, he’ll be giving his all in 2020.
“I can’t wait to go out there with [Ben] — I’m going to play my heart out for him and the rest of our teammates.”
Conner is no stranger to what Roethlisberger has been through since his season-ending elbow injury. The running back has faced his fair share of challenges, whether it was being diagnosed with Hodgkins-Lymphoma in 2015 or the injures he’s endured since making it to the pros.
“I know his work ethic and his mindset; what he’s capable of and what he wants to do. That’s what we all want to do — that’s win it all and just take it one game at a time.”
Conner wants to “win at all costs”. When he’s healthy, he puts it all out there and is a productive RB. In 37 games, Conner has posted 1,581 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns. He’s also an asset to the passing game having recorded 748 receiving yards and an additional four scores.
He’s just two seasons removed from a Pro Bowl year and is determined to stay healthy and do everything he can to help the Steelers win games.
“My expectations are to control everything I can control; to just put it together and have a good year. I’m just going to go out there and play football like I know how to do and like I’ve been doing.”
“The staff believes in me, my teammates believe in me, my family believes in me and that’s all I need,” he continued. “Most importantly, I believe in me. I don’t have any expectations as to what my stats are going to be; I’m not concerned with that. I just want to give my quarterback and this organization and the team — people who believed in me and took a chance on me even when I had health concerns and issues. I just want to give them a ring.”
Although the stakes are high in the final year of Conner’s rookie contract, he doesn’t seem fazed. “You have to go out there and perform, whether it’s a contract year, a second-year, a third-year,” Conner said. “I’m not concerned about it being a contract year — I’m going to go out there and perform regardless.”
If Conner does go to another team during free agency in 2021, he knows how difficult that would be for him. “It would be hard to put another helmet on because of everything this city means to me. I’m Pittsburgh through-and-through. We’ll take it one day at a time. I just want to stay in the moment.”
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