Watch James Conner, Steelers Thursday on the Yahoo Sports app



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Less than three years ago, James Conner fought cancer. Now he is second in the NFL tied for point, behind MVP candidate Todd Gurley.

It's not that we've forgotten the incredible track record of the Pittsburgh Steelers, who went from a terrible fight against Hodgkin's lymphoma to Pitt University to become one of the NFL's top players this season. It's just that the story should be told as often as possible.

<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Conner's inspiring season will continue against the Carolina Panthers Thursday night in a game that can be streamed on the Yahoo Sports mobile app (IOS and Android). "data-reactid =" 18 "> Conner's inspirational season will continue against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night in a game that can be streamed on the Yahoo Sports mobile app. (IOS and Android).

The player of the year in the NFL is strange because everyone has different criteria. And since Conner's fight against cancer did not happen last year, he is not likely to win. It's not like Conner was not playing Pitt in 2016 or a bit with the Steelers last season. However, even though Conner has been in remission since May 2016, if voters decided to give him the reward, no one would complain.

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive midfielder James Conner celebrates with wide receiver Antonio Brown after scoring a touchdown. (AP)

James Conner has been one of the best players in the NFL this season.

Forget about the background and the number of people inspired by Conner on his trip. His game itself is remarkable.

Connect to 1,085 scrum yards and 10 touchdowns in eight games. It's a pace of 2170 yards and 20 touchdowns. Le'Veon Bell, whose attack allowed Conner to shine brightly, has a career high of 2,215 yards and 11 touchdowns in one season. Bell is an All-Pro twice and is considered one of the best players of the game.

Conner did his job without much personal promotion. Most of his interviews are not centered on himself, but on his work within the offensive. He talked about how it was built to withstand the workload the Steelers put on him. He congratulated Bell and said he was the next man to get up.

<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = ""I'm just doing what I like to do," Conner said earlier this season, according to the Associated Press."data-reactid =" 35 ">"I'm just doing what I like to do," Conner said earlier this season, according to the Associated Press.

His teammates are more than happy to talk to him. Conner was one of the driving forces behind the Steelers' last victory over the Ravens, a decisive step for them in AFC North. Conner totaled 163 yards and one touchdown.

<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = ""James shows that no challenge is too big for him – the No.1 defense, whatever it is," Steelers striker Alejandro Villanueva said after the Ravens match, according to the newspaper. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "When you are close to him and you see him lowering his shoulder and gaining a few meters, it is extremely motivating. I have to give him a lot of credit for his performance today. ""data-reactid =" 37 ">"James shows that no challenge is too big for him – the No.1 defense, whatever it is," Steelers striker Alejandro Villanueva said after the Ravens match, according to the newspaper. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "When you are close to him and you see him lowering his shoulder and gaining a few meters, it is extremely motivating. I have to give him a lot of credit for his performance today. "

Given what he went through to get to the NFL, it's no surprise that Conner is not scared of a football challenge.

What will happen when and if Le'Veon Bell comes back?

The question with Conner for the rest of the season, of course, is what happens when and if Bell ends his career and reports to the Steelers.

Bell said goodbye to Miami and was seen in Pittsburgh this week, although he has yet to announce signing his franchise badge. There have been countless reports of Bell's intentions and we are still waiting to hear what he's going to do. Nobody really knows it except Bell and maybe his agent.

This shows how good Conner was, it seems that Bell will not resume his duties full-time if he reports. Conner may not need to continue his extreme workload if Bell comes in, which would be good for Conner and the Steelers. But he has probably turned an All-Pro twice in a timeshare the rest of the season, if Bell signs. It's impressive.

We will all see when that happens. Obviously, Conner does not seem to worry about the play time Bell could take him. Given his path to get to this point of his football career, that makes sense.

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<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Send him an e-mail at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
"data-reactid =" 45 ">Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Send him an e-mail at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!

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