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Pittsburgh RB James Conner tweets he is cancer-free

By Patrick Schmidt

Sep 5, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back James Conner (24) carries the ball against the Youngstown State Penguins during the first half at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 5, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers running back James Conner (24) carries the ball against the Youngstown State Penguins during the first half at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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Great news to report as Pittsburgh Panthers running back James Conner is clean of cancer after battling Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Pittsburgh running back James Conner tweeted he is free of cancer after undergoing rounds of chemotherapy to fight the Hodgkin’s lymphoma he was diagnosed with in December.

He was on Ellen in April and said he was finishing his chemo and had to wait one month for a scan to determine if the cancer was gone or if he needed to continue his fight.

Thankfully, he got the great news he and so many of his fans and supporters had long waited for and he shared the news on his Twitter account.

When Conner was initially diagnosed in December, he said he chose not to fear cancer and he would play football again. He also expressed thanks for choosing to attend Pitt, saying they have the greatest doctors in the world.

Conner took part in practice drills in February, two months after his cancer diagnosis and that led Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi to vow his star running back would beat cancer and play for Pitt in 2016.

Getting Conner back for the 2016 season is obviously huge from an emotional standpoint because they get their best player back. The emotional boost he’ll give the team is immeasurable.

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His on-field impact will be easier to measure. Conner won the ACC Player of the Year in 2014 after rushing for 1,765 yards and 26 touchdowns. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in the season opener but his knee is 100 percent and shouldn’t be a concern moving forward for the 2016 season.

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