James Conner to honor friend who died from cancer during Pitt's bowl game

Published Dec. 9, 2016 12:45 p.m. ET

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Sam Gardner

ORLANDO, Fla. — Pittsburgh running back James Conner learned he’d been named the ACC’s Brian Piccolo award winner for 2016 on Thursday, but the news that he’d received the honor rang bittersweet.

That’s because the recognition, given to the conference’s “most courageous” football player, came on the heels of sobering news: DiMantae Bronaugh, a star running back at nearby Aliquippa High School and friend of Conner’s, had passed away Tuesday after a lengthy battle with cancer.

“You’ve just got to believe in God and realize that everything happens for a reason,” Conner, a cancer survivor, said Saturday, before Clemson and Virginia Tech met in the ACC championship game at Camping World Stadium. “It’s tough, but that’s life.”

Bronaugh, 19, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in August 2015. Bronaugh entered remission within a month of his diagnosis, and after being granted an extra year of eligibility, he began preparing for his senior season over the summer. However, Bronaugh’s symptoms returned in July, and in August a bone marrow biopsy confirmed that the cancer was back.

Following his second diagnosis, Bronaugh and his family attended a Pitt scrimmage at Heinz Field, where they had an hour-long meeting with Conner, the 2014 ACC Player of the Year. At the time, Conner said, Bronaugh was still optimistic about someday returning to the field, despite knowing that he’d eventually require a life-saving bone marrow transplant first.

“He just had such a positive attitude, and I can remember him telling me he was going to beat it,” Conner said. “Unfortunately it came back and it took his life, so (Tuesday) was a very hard day for me because I knew him and I had a great friendship with him. He’s so young, and life really isn’t fair.”

On Dec. 4 of last year, Conner announced that he’d been diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. Conner had already missed the majority of the 2015 season year after injuring his knee in Week 1, and given the news of his cancer, some doubted whether he’d be able to return to the field in 2016.

But on May 23, Conner, now 21, announced his cancer was in remission, and less than four months later, he was in Pitt’s Week 1 lineup. Conner went on to score twice in the Panthers’ season-opening win over Villanova and finished the year with 1,060 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns.

“I told myself, every week, to just improve a little bit and just keep climbing, and it’s going to pay off eventually,” Conner said. “Just keep chipping at it.”

Following his conversation with Bronaugh, Conner said he stayed in touch both on social media and through Pitt freshman linebacker Kaezon Pugh, himself an Aliquippa graduate. And while Conner said he and Bronaugh didn’t talk frequently -- ”It’s a personal fight,” Conner said -- the two texted from time to time, with Conner always offering to help in any way he could.

Conner said it was significant, during his own cancer battle, to simply know he had support from others who’d fought the same fight.

“Nobody wants to go through that alone,” Conner said. “It’s real tough, so for you to have a number to call and people to reach out to with any questions you may have -- especially if it’s somebody who’s been through it before — it’s very helpful, and you need that throughout the process.”

As a result, Conner said he now feels like he’s part of a survivors’ brotherhood with others who have overcome the disease.

“When you’ve had cancer you can relate firsthand to it,” Conner said. “I’ve made a lot of great friends who are also survivors -- (Kansas City Chiefs safety) Eric (Berry), my friend Clate (Schmidt, a baseball player) from Clemson -- and you really just have a connection and a bond that can’t be broken because you’ve been through something, through tough adversity, and you’ve persevered.”

And while Bronaugh was never able to accomplish his dream of taking the field again, Conner said he’ll work to keep Bronaugh’s memory alive for as long as he’s able.

“I always say you play for somebody who can’t,” said Conner, a junior. “And I’ll definitely be playing for him this bowl game and probably for the rest of my career.”

You can follow Sam Gardner on Twitter or email him at samgardnerfox@gmail.com.

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