Ellen DeGeneres surprised Pitt’s running back James Conner who has been suffering from Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Having to go through chemotherapy it lost him the chance to prove himself as one of the most talented tailbacks in the Power 5.
James had previously stated that he had drawn inspiration from Eric Berry who had had the same disease but managed to win against it and return to top NHL games.
Eric himself was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2014 but he managed to overcome his cancer and return in 2015 as Comeback player of the year. No wonder, James was inspired by him.
James had stated in the show Eric and himself had conversations where the latter had given some encouraging statement but the two players had never met face to face.
"We had like a 30-minute conversation and he just gave me the whole rundown of what to expect, because that was before any treatments," said James about their initial conversation
Lucky for James, Ellen had already managed their meeting. This is what Eric had to say to James and anyone dealing with cancer-
“Just never limit yourself, you know what I’m saying? Anything you’re going through, you’re really battling yourself. It’s never about the chemo, it’s never about the cancer, it’s all about what you’re willing to put in to overcome whatever the obstacle is.”
James Conner has potential that rival greatest players. He was even awarded as 2014 ACC Player of the Year but his knee injury and cancer have restricted him to be at his best. Albeit his cancer, Conner still goes to training session but with his protective mask on. With his devotion and unyielding passion for the game, we hope that he will recover from it and play on. Best of luck, James.
Cancer survivor Eric Berry continues to win at life.
Watch him surprise James Conner: https://t.co/o5A39vltIf pic.twitter.com/CowtqaLyFm
— ESPN (@espn) April 22, 2016