James Conner pushes through Miami’s Jamal Carter in Pitt’s win Saturday at Sun Life Stadium. — PITT ATHLETICS
DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
News: Pitt running back James Conner was named ACC Player of the Year Wednesday afternoon, edging Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, the most recent Heisman Trophy winner.
Views: Richly deserved. And it shouldn’t have been as close as the 16-13 vote between the two, as decided by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association.
Conner, a sophomore, is the first underclassman running back — freshman or sophomore — honored this way, and he earned it with power and style: He ran for 1,675 yards and 24 touchdowns, even though a hip injury significantly slowed him in the final two games. He trampled opponents even when they stacked eight or nine in the box. He broke through even when his line, at times, was banged up.
Here’s a highlight reel of his best game, the 220-yard trampling of North Carolina.
And here’s a brief message from the young man, sent out by the university.
Conner is a good kid, but he’s also got a healthy edge to him. Ask him about being ignored by pretty much every major program coming out of Erie McDowell — even nearby Buffalo! — and you’ll get the requisite chip. “I think about it every single day,” he told me once early in the season. He channeled it all onto the field. He channeled it to teammates, too, as vocal and demonstrative as anyone on the roster, on and off the field.
“When James gets going, we all get going,” offensive lineman Matt Rotheram said last week.
Pitt finished this season 6-6, but there could be a lot of getting going for the offense in 2015, beginning with that 6-2, 250-pound, thick-as-brick load, a year older and smarter. Tyler Boyd, a pedigree match in every way, also will be a junior. So will Chad Voytik, who steadily improved over his first full season at quarterback. The line will need to replace Rotheram and T.J. Clemmings, but Paul Chryst has some in stock.
Maybe he can cull a few more talented types, now that the program can claim this honor on top of Aaron Donald’s ACC Defensive Player of the Year and multiple other awards last year. Nothing could mean more arising from the legacy Donald left and Conner is still building.
December 3, 2014
News/views: Conner ACC Player of Year
by Dejan Kovacevic • Columns • Pitt
James Conner pushes through Miami’s Jamal Carter in Pitt’s win Saturday at Sun Life Stadium. — PITT ATHLETICS
DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
News: Pitt running back James Conner was named ACC Player of the Year Wednesday afternoon, edging Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston, the most recent Heisman Trophy winner.
Views: Richly deserved. And it shouldn’t have been as close as the 16-13 vote between the two, as decided by members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association.
Conner, a sophomore, is the first underclassman running back — freshman or sophomore — honored this way, and he earned it with power and style: He ran for 1,675 yards and 24 touchdowns, even though a hip injury significantly slowed him in the final two games. He trampled opponents even when they stacked eight or nine in the box. He broke through even when his line, at times, was banged up.
Here’s a highlight reel of his best game, the 220-yard trampling of North Carolina.
And here’s a brief message from the young man, sent out by the university.
Conner is a good kid, but he’s also got a healthy edge to him. Ask him about being ignored by pretty much every major program coming out of Erie McDowell — even nearby Buffalo! — and you’ll get the requisite chip. “I think about it every single day,” he told me once early in the season. He channeled it all onto the field. He channeled it to teammates, too, as vocal and demonstrative as anyone on the roster, on and off the field.
“When James gets going, we all get going,” offensive lineman Matt Rotheram said last week.
Pitt finished this season 6-6, but there could be a lot of getting going for the offense in 2015, beginning with that 6-2, 250-pound, thick-as-brick load, a year older and smarter. Tyler Boyd, a pedigree match in every way, also will be a junior. So will Chad Voytik, who steadily improved over his first full season at quarterback. The line will need to replace Rotheram and T.J. Clemmings, but Paul Chryst has some in stock.
Maybe he can cull a few more talented types, now that the program can claim this honor on top of Aaron Donald’s ACC Defensive Player of the Year and multiple other awards last year. Nothing could mean more arising from the legacy Donald left and Conner is still building.